Lust & Torment
by Shelia13
Summary: Well, damn. Guess coincidences really do happen. But with Cobra being so deeply involved with a gang can he get Kiana out when she's quite literally dragged into his mess?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

He smirked watching the chaos unfold before him, his gang had made a particularly bad decision but he really didn't mind. Cobra liked watching the chaos unfold, and his gang liked to watch how he would fix it.

"Cobra! Left shoulder!" Someone shouted.

It was too late, he already knew, he was in the middle of zooming in on the pretty little gem that hung off of the opponent's hip, a grenade. That wasn't the kind of material that most people brought with them to his turf. His smile stretched a crossed his face, he signalled for the group of his gang that he was in charge of to back up, and he pulled the trigger.

The explosion warmed his face like a warm meal after the battle filled his stomach, it was that kind of contentment that he was looking for that filled his veins all the way through his arms with that pulsating adrenaline that he just needed at this point in time. The explosion roared on signalling the rest of the street where they were, Cobra let out a whistle, they must've had some chemical in that bomb.

That wasn't just some bomb they stole off of some military base. That was high grade stuff even likely that that person had chemically engineered the stuff themselves. Some chemist they just lost, too bad, for the other guys. They would've taken some walloping to their gang if he hadn't made that impulsive action just then and there.

And that's what his gang loved to watch that's why he had almost always been immediately selected for the front lines. They wanted to see the chaos he was going to be unleashing that night.

He could see the lights in a distant, it was almost laughable having police in a city filled to the brink with gangs that the only reason cops were there was to cause them to move their battle grounds from one place to another and to bust small time drug dealers. "Alright, guys, we've done enough damage time to go." He laughed, the opposite gang was already regrouping planning a retreat so they could avenge themselves later.

Cobra played with the thought of following them to find the lab that would be full of goodies. He shook his head, he would probably wind up blowing himself up in the process of finding that lab. "What about our other two?"

"Are they still alive?"

"I don't know, we believe so though." His group had a collective muttering that reverberated through the group discussing whether or not they should wait for their last duo. Well, that, and the wonder if they were actually still alive after getting split from the group a while back. Cobra sighed, if he left them it would show to the rest of the group that he would leave them behind too, but he also had to consider the rest of the group that he already knew was still alive. If he waited too long it would get the rest of the group killed if the enemy gang found them while retreating.

"We'll wait ten minutes."

"Are you sure boss?" The group muttered exchanging glances.

"I don't know if they're alive, but we can't wait longer than that or we'll be in danger too." Cobra replied.  
"Like we can't handle ourselves." The group triumphantly smirked.

"I'm saying that we're sitting ducks if we stay in the same place, especially out in the open like this." Cobra said still not turning to face his men, he was already reloading another bullet looking for another member of the enemy gang that he wouldn't want to deal with after they regroup.

"Boss! Boss! Look what we found!" The duo had found their way back. One of them let out a feminine squeak, he shook his head wondering what the heck the rest of his pack was doing to them for showing up late, collectivity at the same time making them late for dinner at the same time.

"I said let go." The voice was soft and barely defiant but still struggling to have its way.

He felt his body tense with that unusual sound, his gang didn't have many female members, in-fact their one female member was out on a different mission and wouldn't make that sound of shock for the life of her, she wouldn't let them live afterwards.

He turned towards the people that he was supposed to be in charge of. He was feeling disappointed in them that they were running amok instead of listening to him and destroying the enemy gang so they could get home in time for dinner.

There was a female stuck between two of his members looking almost as terrified as she did defiant. "Boss, look what we found." They said cheerfully, he wasn't the boss, but he didn't mind being called that. He wasn't going to correct them. "She was running from the enemy gang, we killed them all and caught her." They smiled as if they were dogs catching their first rabbit. She was frowning as she glanced up towards him visibly flinching back after acknowledging him.

That single word rolled off her lips almost caused him to lose face in front of the people he was in charge of, "Erik?" He cringed, he knew he recognized her from somewhere. Well, it was going to be a long week. It was Kinana his childhood crush.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

His name rolled off her lips almost caused him to lose face in front of the people he was in charge of, "Erik?"

He cringed, he knew he recognized her from somewhere. Well, it was going to be a long week. It was Kinana his childhood crush.

And he'd be damned if he was going to let those two fools keep touching her with their grubby hands.

"Cobra! Why didn't you tell us if you knew such a beauty! You should've introduced us!" The duo grumbled looking at him over her shoulders with eyes of betrayal. It wasn't his fault they acted like lunatics half the time. And it wasn't his fault that she had gone missing at the end of their sophomore year. The school chopped up the report of her disappearance to family problems rather than the violence that was beginning to take over the city.

He had believed that. Believed that she was too good to be here. Believed that her family was smart enough to escape before the rubbish settled in. But seeing her here, with his goons having a hand wrapped around each wrist gave him other suspicions. The terror was set in the back of her eyes like she had already experienced worst situations.

"I said-" Her voice was barely audible to them, she was shaking, it wasn't like she knew who they were, and the duo was very clingy to people to begin with. Their clingy antics were probably scaring her.

"Let go of her already." Cobra snapped causing the duo to flinch back.

"Whoa, boss." Smiles spread a crossed their faces, they were definitely going to tease him later. "Boss are we taking her home?" One of the goonies from the back shouted while the other's whistled giving him those smiles that he knew he would have to physically rub off of their faces later.

Shots fired from a distance, he spun around, he would have to deal with his goonies later. Those goofballs made him forget, even for just a second, that they were in the middle of a battlefield.

He listened for the pocketwatch clicking from one of the late duo's pocket, it was almost time for dinner and they were going to be late. The actual boss would be mad if he didn't bring something to the table, especially since he still had to tell his guys to look presentable and most of his men were in desperate needs for showers and smelled like sewers. "If you don't finish your tasks there will be no dinner for you tonight." Cobra instructed receiving collective groans from his group as they began to rearrange positions to finish the night's work.

"What about her?" One of the duo muttered glancing towards him. Cobra sighed, he didn't have time to take care of everything right now, they needed to drive the enemy gang back into their territory where they would come asking for their gang's protection in the morning so they could wipe their feet on that gang's pride. But no way was he leaving her with those two.

Cobra glanced towards Kinana, "Come here." He demanded as she nodded moving her feet very slowly as she sat down by him, "Keep your head low. If you get hit it'll be on my head." He muttered. He didn't want to deal with the legal papers or that situation of dealing with someone that wasn't part of his gang. Or the guilt of involving someone that wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. He was almost half tempted to ask her if she knew how to fire a gun, but he wasn't expecting her to kill anyone in the name of his gang. And she didn't know his members from the enemy members.

He couldn't expect her to get her hands dirty for him. He just expected her to keep herself safe, and he would help with that as much as he could.

After several minutes the duo finally came back to him, "We believe the area to be clear." The duo smiled at him glancing towards Kinana then back at him with teasing smiles.

"Erik, what's happening?" She whispered her hair significantly longer than he last remembered, unmatted, and unbrushed in sometime.

"Turf war between gangs. It's normal." He muttered as she nodded wrapping her arms around her knees as she waited, seeming extremely displeased with the situation that she was thrown into. "We're moving now." He whispered picking up the weapons that he wasn't already carrying and signalling for her to follow him.

It was a matter of time before they had finally gone back to where his gang was based. By the time he walked in at the last of the group the entire gang was already shooting him smirks, he had moved Kinana to walking in front of him, and checked for any signs of being followed before he shut the doors to where they were staying.

He set his weaponry down in the usual spot, before turning to his foolish duo. "I'm going to take her to introduce her to our boss." The group nodded before scattering to their respective places amongst their hideout.

"Erik, I don't want to be here." She whispered reaching for his sleeve to grab onto before pulling away from him, he glanced towards her unsure why she was pulling away from him, "You're part of a gang?" She whispered, she was looking more confirmation, she already knew he was part of a gang.

Or they'd be escaping instead of her watching him give out orders. Damn, that's why she was looking at him with those eyes a look that he wasn't sure he ever wanted to see from her. She was scared of him.

"It's okay. It's the safest I've ever been is right here." Cobra explained half-tempted to take her hand as he led her to his boss. He thought twice, if she was pulling away because she was scared of him that meant if he took her hand now that would make her flee from him twice as much. "Yo!" He shouted knocking on the boss' bedroom door with the back of his knuckles repeatedly. Cobra opened the door walking inside waiting for Kinana to follow.

The boss sat at the table quickly scribbling away some paperwork for upcoming meetings with other gangs around the state. They had dealt with one tonight that was not only invading on their territory but also behind on their dues. They had made a double showing and it was a great situation for them.

"Everything go well tonight?" The boss asked tapping a pencil against the paper on his desk.

"With the exception of one problem." Cobra beckoned Kinana closer.

The boss looked up from their papers blinking at Kinana. "And how'd you find this gem?" they laughed setting their pen down for a minute pausing from their paperwork.

"My crazy duo found her. A childhood friend." Cobra explained.

"Hello." Kinana whispered, the boss tilted their head waiting for some sort of confirmation.

"How did you wind up in this mess of a place?" The boss laughed receiving a frail smile from her.

"When I was sixteen, nearly the end of my sophomore year, I went home to find out that my family was being kidnapped. I walked in at the wrong time, and they figured I might know something." She explained biting her lip as she attempted to not relive the entire situation.

Cobra felt his fist curl into a ball, maybe he really would go find the chemistry lab. Maybe they had created something that wouldn't be as swift as it was. That gang didn't deserve a swift punishment. He was going to torture them.

"Where are your parents?"

"Dead."

"Where are the people who killed them?" Cobra glanced up, he knew exactly what their boss meant. An eye for an eye. They were going to kill whoever had kill them. Kinana struggled to summon words. "You were a dear childhood friend to our little Cobra, he doesn't have many of those left these days, he's our family. So you're also our family now. If we don't it will be an embarrassment on our family name." The boss nodded, he was encouraging her to spill.

Cobra looked towards her unsure if in her world this was something unusual as she pinned her lips together keeping the people who murdered them a secret.

"You can't..." She paused then tightening her arms around herself, "I've already shot them." She whispered as Cobra felt himself visibly flinch, his eyes growing wide. That wasn't something he expected that she was capable of doing, but anyone around here could be pushed to their limits. And that included her.

The boss glanced up towards him scrutinizing his reaction acknowledging what that meant before returning their eyes to Kinana.

"Her room will be located on the top floor in-between yours and mine." The boss explained as he nodded.

"I couldn't possibly. I can't stay."

"Where else would you go dear?"

Kinana remained silent as she stared at the floor understanding that she was an orphan now and the fact that her family hadn't been home in over three years. She was considered dead outside of here. "I can't be indebted to a gang. I just barely escaped one." She stated looking his boss dead in the eye.

His boss let out a hysterical laughter wiping a tear from their eye, "You aren't indebted to us, in-fact I'm offering you this place as first we're family-" The boss shot a glance towards Cobra emphasising his earlier point, "-And second you've done us a massive favor. That gang was getting on my nerves to begin with and their numbers were getting out of hand anyway I knew my boys could handle it but I wasn't sure they would come back without any damage." The boss explained. Kinana nodded seeming to be full of mixed feelings.

He continued, "Dear, please tell me if you require anything." His boss continued moving the papers aside so that he could emphasize his full focus was on the two of them. She nodded before Cobra escorted her out, "And Cobra, do be careful." He nodded. There was no reason not to listen to the boss, the boss always extremely intuitive. Cobra was just trying to find how happy he was finding out that someone from his high school, especially her, was alive. "She's going to need you from now on."

"Not as much as I need her."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He was sixteen years old, missing his childhood crush that had disappeared without even a goodbye, and bored out of his mind rolling a pencil back in forth in one of his classes when it happened: the room exploded. The screams made his ears hurt, someone was on the floor bleeding from their head, and the class was instinctively looking at the teacher to lead them out of the chaos.

They were the adult, they had to figure out a way to fix this. "S-Stay calm!" The teacher stuttered he could hear the march similiar to the soldiers from the war videos come down the hall toward the classroom. "Like we practiced, like we practiced." The teacher instructed having them herd into the corner to be shot like animals. He moved away to the opposite corner hurrying towards a window, struggling to unlock the window, and shove it open before whatever army was heading towards this room made it there.

"You keep screeching _'like we practiced'_ over and over but there's no door to protect us!" One of the students sobbed acknowledging that the entire situation had made them sitting ducks.

Cobra slipped out the window barely missing the sound of his friends and classmates being shot at. He covered his ears wishing that he couldn't hear the sounds from the other side of the wall.

He had found himself shrinking behind the window, he wasn't religious, but what he was doing now probably resembled some form of praying that they wouldn't think twice to look out the window where he stayed in the grass.

He knew that if he stayed there when he heard them leave he would look inside to find a pile of bodies of his fellow students and his friends all neatly piled up like they had been waiting to be murdered. Still in the corner where they had been taught to hide. Where they had been taught to sit and wait. Wait until it was their turn to be murdered.

He knew he shouldn't, but he did. He stood up and stared into that window where those people were moving one by one through each of the rooms waiting for their turn to be murdered, the doors burned to a crisp by each of the bombs.

Cobra remembered staring into the window until a hand on his shoulder caused him to flinch. He had hit him away immediately reaching for the gun that was hanging off of the guy's hip another on his side instantly went to hit him with a weapon. "Don't hurt him. This is our territory. We've been made a mockery of." Someone grabbed him in an embrace as he struggled with panic grief-stricken eyes only knowing he wanted to fight.

He didn't want to be added to that pile. He wasn't going to wait then die.

The man that was struggling to keep him steady whispering words of encouragement and that he was safe now would later one day become the boss of the gang they would bring him to. He would become his boss.

Cobra felt his breath hitch causing his eyes to open flinging himself out of bed stumbling onto the floor. A soft sobbing coming from the next room over. Dammit. Her reappearance had brought him some unpleasant memories. He was supposed to be nothing but happy that she was still alive.

Another of the reasons why the boss had let her stay. She reminded the boss that they were too late on that mission to protect the gang's territory. The attack on the school was nothing against the school or anyone in the school. It was an attack from one gang on another as a cruel joke.

One day he was going to make arrangements to watch that whole gang burn. He would get tickets to the front row. He didn't care if they were the current second biggest gang controlling the economy in this area, he didn't care for the economy if it was that bad once he watched them burn people would move. But that gang would crumble in his hands.

Cobra brought himself back from being trapped in his thoughts, Kinana was crying. He got out of bed, snatching up a shirt and walking towards her door. "Hey" He whispered rasping on the door a couple of times.

The door unclicked several locks, the boss had given her this room for a reason, she needed to feel safe. And what better than a room covered in things she could have control of. She wiped her eyes before moving out of the darkness, "Did you need something?" She whispered her voice still raspy from crying. She was trying to hide it like he couldn't tell. He had the best ears in the whole place, but he didn't need to have those to hear that she had been crying.

"Can I come in?" He whispered trying to keep his voice hushed just in-case anyone else was up wandering around the house. She nodded closing the door behind him as he followed her sitting down next to her on the bed. "I know you don't want to be here but it'll be okay." He whispered as she shook her head.

"You can't promise me that."

He held out his arms, "I can't, but I want to. I can try...for you." He whispered as she leaned into him.

"It's been so long since I've felt safe." She whispered. She didn't want to talk about her parents not yet, she didn't want to talk about her experiences trapped with that other gang. She just wanted to stay in Cobra's arms where she felt safe.

"Go to sleep, you're safe here." _In my arms_.

"I can't the nightmares will come." She whispered shaking her head.

It had been three years in a strange place even if she had escaped the tragedy that befell the school she had only stepped into a tragedy of her own. He understood the night terrors. His came every night at the instant he fell asleep.

He picked up one of the books laid on the night stand, with her still wrapped in his arms, he began to read.

Several hours later he was almost done with the book before he heard the soft snoring. She had fallen asleep in his arms. Cobra moved her hair out of her face smiling at her gentle face. He lived in a world of horrors but sometimes he was granted small miracles. And he'd be damned if someone were to say she wasn't one of them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Cobra had wandered into the kitchen long before anyone else had arisen in the house. It wasn't often that he had managed to make such a feat. Well, the part where he was one of the people who was out the latest most of the time could was likely a benefactor in why he was always the last one to rise.

Well, at least out of the people who stayed at their hideout. Some of them actually had places to return to even if they considered those places dumps. It was still a place to go.

He had no place, it burned down years ago when the attack-the school supposedly caught fire. That's how the attack was reported to the news: a surprise fire startling students and a lack of proper plans.

Afterwards he had wandered home and burnt his own house down the next day. He sat in the grass for an hour or two watching his memories burn then returned to the gang which was shocked to see his return but let him in with welcoming arms.

Cobra stood there cracking the eggs over the bowl, "Cobra, she's ain't no snake! She isn't going to eat raw eggs!" Leader laughed. He felt his heels lift causing Leader to giggle, and heat rose to Cobra's face. Leader had noticed he flinched, Leader was going to tease him for days, "Did you not learn how to cook?" Leader scoffed.

Cobra glared, "when were you going to teach me?"

Leader let out a small cough, he was trying to blow off his own poor cooking skills, "you're going to catch the whole place on fire with your temper." Cobra stirred the eggs. He didn't even know if she liked eggs, but that's all they had in the house. Cobra let a noise of annoyance escape from between his teeth. "So are you going to stop by her house and get her stuff?"

Cobra stirred the eggs, there was no point of going to her house, she had been missing for years. The likeness of something that even remotely fit her being there anymore was slim to nothing and the food must've all gone bad by now. He wouldn't be surprised if real estate agents attempted to sell the house almost immediately after that which ended in dramatic failure. "There's nothing there now." Cobra sighed. If the real estate agents couldn't sell the home they would've taken the stuff or the house was ransacked by now. He stirred the eggs again. If she didn't like them maybe he could continue to cook saying he was making french toast with them.

"I'm not talking about clothes or food. Have you considered she might've left something important to her behind?" Leader pestered.

"Fine, I'll look around when i'm feeling up to it." Cobra snapped at him.

"Hey don't hiss at me, anyway you can't stare at the stove all day the eggs will burn, even if you're waiting for her to wake up there's no guarantee she'll come out of her room today. She might even be regretting the decision to come here." Leader paused, went to say something, but instead remained quiet. It was probably something that could be considered an insult. Cobra raised his eyebrows, he was the leader of the organization there was no reason that Leader should bite his tongue for anyone.

Cobra scooped the eggs onto the plate alongside the french toast, either way he was good. Well, unless she was allergic to eggs. He stared down at the plate, "Just take the place to her room already dammit." Cobra scooped up the plate again there was no reason for him to hesitate, it was just breakfast for heck's sake.

"And the badass of my gang becomes an adorable love-struck teenager!" Leader laughed causing heat to rush to his neck.

Cobra glared at Leader. If it was anyone else he would've rushed back into the room and gave them that killer smile that let them know they were in deep shit.

Cobra scaled the stairs until he managed to get to her room, knocking a couple times, before opening the door. "Are you asleep? I'm opening the door." Cobra said knocking once again to see if he would get a reply. He opened the door feeling the heat from his neck rush to his face.

Leader was terrible. "Sorry. I brought breakfast." He said setting the plate down on the desk near the door and immediately shutting the door hoping that she wouldn't notice his embarrassment. He wanted to look cool in front of her, but now she would probably remember him barging in on her. The handle felt hot underneath the flesh of his hand. It began to jiggle as she attempted to open the door, he let go of it attempting to regain his composure.

"Erik?" She whispered as he turned around.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean."

"It's okay."  
"I know you're mad."

"Erik, it's okay."

He paused realizing for the first time which name she called him by. Cobra knew he should stop her, it was a proud name he had earned for himself that the gang could also be proud of. But he couldn't bring himself to ask her to. The last remnants of what there was.

"I brought breakfast." He whispered as she nodded.

"Thank you." She nodded, "would you like to eat breakfast together?"

"It's okay, I didn't bring anything up for me." Cobra shook his head.

"It's okay, come in." Kinana smiled opening the door slightly. He nodded bringing himself into her room wondering if he should be less willing about entering her room after rudely opening the door as he just did.

She picked up the breakfast he made beginning to eat as she moved into the room. The only thing that had been touched was the bed. "How long have you been living here?" She asked.

"It's been sometime. Since the attack on the scho-" He glanced up. There was the high possibility she didn't know anything about the school as he watched her eyebrows knit together. She didn't. He had already said too much for her to not figure out what happened. But how was he supposed to tell her that everyone she had previously known was dead? He didn't want to deliver that news. "It's been nice here. The gang has been taking care of me since my house burned down." She turned towards him with slightly widened eyes, "I did it. As more of a symbolic thing." He shrugged. It wasn't that easy to explain. Sometimes he wanted to return to that place where he had once felt safe, but there was no point in mourning a place that had burned for days until nothing was left.

She forced a smile onto her face, it was thin and uncomfortable seeming, "This place has become your home now, huh?" Her words seemed thin and incomplete causing him to glance at her.

It was as though she was trying to tell him something, or he was reading into it. He couldn't expect anyone who had been kidnapped into a gang to be happy the day they were rescued. Especially by another gang.

She set her fork down onto the plate, "I should go." She whispered, "I've already stayed too long."

"Don't worry about it. Leader is good, we may be in a gang but we're still people." Cobra sat on the floor leaning on her bed.

Sure, he had a crush on her in high school, and sure those feelings were still lingering, but he had to make sure that she felt safe here, and what she needed was going to come before what he wanted.

Maybe that's why he couldn't bring himself to get close. Maybe that's why he was sitting on the floor. Or maybe he was just comfortable there. But no one had ever told him how to take care of a person. So that's what he would do, he would stay near until she decided that she needed him.

Cobra opened his eyes the feeling of a hand shaking his shoulder, "Cobra. Cobra, wake up dammit." He blinked his eyes opening looking at the leader. "There's our little knight. Quite a gentlemen aren't we?" Leader laughed at him. "Did you know you sleep talk?" Leader puffed their cheeks at him. "I came in to ask you some questions. I asked you if you think the other gangs will come for her again. You said damn right, she's just too damn precious. Now aren't you cute?"

Cobra smacked Leader's hand away, "I'm a grown man, stop calling me cute."

Leader let out a chuckle, "You may all be just a little over teenagers, but remember to me you're all babies. I've seen twice the amount of stuff in my life that I'll ever let you see in yours, it makes you feel twenty years older then you are. It makes everyone else look so young and naive."

"It's still weird, you're not much older then us Leader." Cobra sighed shaking his head.

"Anyway, you guys have been passed out for hours. You're not on duty tonight." Leader dug in his pocket shoving something into Cobra's hand. "Go see if anything important to her is left. Your home burning was your choice not hers." Cobra turned to wake her. "Just leave her asleep."

"How will I ever know what's important then?" He asked, how was he supposed to know which things that may or may not remain and their values in her heart.

"Do you want to make her cry? I'm sure her house in shambles." Leader shook his head slapping the map into Cobra's hand. "Be back before eleven."

"What am I a child?" Cobra scoffed.

"To me you're all children." Leader smiled before walking out of the room.

Cobra stood up, taking a glance at her wondering when they had fallen asleep, she must've been exhausted to sleep through the whole day like they just did. It was probably best that he left her asleep. He smiled almost going to run his hand through her hair, he pulled himself away from her. Her trust was something he wanted, he didn't want to destroy it before he even had it. After leaving a roughly written note he locked her door on the way out and headed down the stairs towards the kitchen.

"Leader do you even do anything around here?" He asked glancing at Leader sitting there at the kitchen table patiently staring at the door.

Leader turned back towards Cobra, a hand going up to their chest, "And I had thought of you as one of my own." Leader let out the fakest gasp noise that he had ever heard as Cobra walked out the door, a smile on his face.

Cobra walked around to the back of the building where they kept his bike, he strapped on his helmet, and began to drive. It took a total of thirty minutes to get to her old house, considering the area that wasn't far. He glanced towards the house was barely touched, other than a few broken windows, it barely looked ransacked from the outskirts. Maybe that's why he had believe that her family left quietly. He walked through the rubble of the house, some various remnants of things he rather not name, and the dust that had covered the house from lack of use. There hadn't even been a murder here, but it was probably hard to sell the place with a family just up and disappearing out of the blue.

It had been at least hours, why was he even digging around in this rubble in the first place? There was no way he would know what was important to her and what wasn't. He shuffled through the rooms trying to figure out which one was hers. He wandered up the stairs feeling like he was invading her personal privacy even though she hadn't been here in years. She had missing even before the attack on their high school. Although he was sad she didn't say goodbye, he was happy she made it out of this dump. He finally found her room, the clothes she used to wear still laid out on the bed likely from right before school that day and shuffling around to get ready. He scoffed imagining her getting up and rushing out the door as recklessly as he did, he always assumed that females got up making sure they all had time for themselves. He walked towards the dresser looking at the remnants, empty jewelry boxes and sorted through clothing. That gang must've had no morals whatsoever. They must've decided since they wouldn't be here anymore it would be okay to take the things that were important to them. Cobra turned to see if anything struck his eye as a jingle moved under his foot.

He picked up his foot glancing at a silver chain that hung around it. A heart necklace? He gently unhooked it from around his foot knowing that the chain was likely fragile. It had to be made of a good material to be as silver as it still was. He blinked at it watching the heart shape spin at the end of the chain. Was it a locket? He popped the locket open wondering what was inside it. How rare and unusual: a double-sided locket. Inside the locket rested a family picture. He flipped over to the other side startled by what he saw.

It was a picture of them. They had both participated in the band back in his early years of high school. A heat ran its way a crossed his neck as the thought crossed him, that she might've reciprocated his feelings. He shook his head. The only reason she would keep this picture was probably to remember how much fun those days were. Not because of him.

He quickly clipped the locket around his neck tucking it underneath his shirt.

There was nothing else in the house that hadn't shown some remnant of damage or seemed salvageable. He got on his bike heading back to the hideout his usual group laughing as they cheerily made their way back inside to the hideout. He sniffed, checking to see if they were drinking. Only one of them, their drunkenness must've been contagious. "What did I tell you about drinking while you were on the job?" Cobra lectured, one of them openly rolled their eyes at him. It was easier than he thought to find the drunk one.

"You idiot." One of them muttering hitting the one that had rolled his eyes at him in the back of the head.

Cobra rolled his bike back to behind the hideout followed by hushed whispers asking if he was okay or if they were going to be screwed later. He wasn't in the mood to deal with them. He had just done something that was emotionally exhausting. Damn Leader for leaving those kind of jobs for him.

He walked towards the house opening the door. Kinana blinked at him. He hadn't been expecting her to be standing there waiting for him, "Are you okay?" She whispered.

His hand reached for his chest instinctively going to retrieve the necklace. " _Do you want to make her cry?"_ Leader's voice echoed in his mind.

"Yeah, I'm just a little busy." He smiled as she nodded. The metal chain burned against his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Cobra glanced towards the book lying on the table, it was fairly new, but it also contained the latest updates of members of their gang, territories, if they were alive or not, and other various sorts of information. That book out in the open like that must've meant that only people Leader trusted were in the house or people that wouldn't understand it's significance if they picked it up.

Leader hadn't gotten enough sleep from the night before and had forgotten that Kinana was in the house: sometime that morning Leader likely carried it down the stairs to do their write-ins and updates on it before leaving it alone by being distracted.

Leader almost panicked knowing what it would mean for Kinana if she understood what was inside when she picked it up paging through it to determine who to give it back to only with the slight words, "Oh a family album. How cute." A pang of pain shot through his chest as he heard the pain in her voice. He probably should've looked for family albums or at least grabbed a picture or two off of the walls when he was at her home.

He felt his hand guilty reach for the necklace only guilt from invading her privacy retracting his hand from the necklace. Her voice was soft and almost sad as she paged through it, likely not understanding what was written because of Leader's handwriting was so bad they were considering that Leader had his own personal handwriting.

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't mean to leave it out on you. I was reminiscing." Leader apologized outstretching his hands to take the album from Kinana, she gently replied to the action.

"It's okay. I was just trying to make sure no one accidentally left it here." She smiled as he nodded. Kinana reached out to grab several of the dishes off of the table.

"Don't worry I'll take care of them." He let out a light laughter his hands going to scoop the bowls up glancing towards her wrists. "Do you have tattoos?" He asked, earnestly interested in what kind of tattoo she would consider, Kinana's face lit up brighter than a stoplight as she yanked down her sleeves.

"Not really." She whispered. Cobra turned away back to the sink feeling like he had somehow insulted her. Maybe he wasn't supposed to ask? Cobra glanced down into the sink, tattoos were permanent: they usually weren't put there unless they meant something. Or well a passing fling, but she wasn't the type of person to do something like that, especially to not think about it and get something unusual. He felt like he had done something wrong. Or maybe he hadn't seen the white lines that were running up and around her wrists that ran further down her sleeves, maybe it had been the shadow of the light from the roof.

"Cobra you're on patrol tonight!" One of the guy's shouted from the other room, he could feel Kinana's eyes gazing over to his back. Her gaze almost burned with his own dissatisfaction. He wasn't ready to leave her side after just finding out that she was alive. There was also the fact that she was probably uncomfortable being left in a group of strangers.

Cobra heard the sound of Kinana switching between her feet, he washed the dishes in the sink trying to determine what he should've done next. There was no way he could skip the patrol tonight, he technically already had off in their eyes the night before.

Cobra took a breath there was no point waiting for to explain to him about her tattoos, she didn't have to, "I'm going to be out most of the night. If you want you can wander around my room." He explained, that probably wasn't something helpful for her. It would probably do the opposite effect but that's all he knew that he could do at the current moment in time.

"It's okay, I figured there would be times I'd have to stay here." She stated, seeming less saddened by it then he thought she would. It was likely the thought had occurred to her long before this and he wasn't even playing with the knowledge while she was coming to terms with the idea. "I'll explore the house a little." She smiled.

His team for the night peared into the room with a mixture of gazes on their faces. Little eavesdroppers. "I'll be back soon." He whispered letting his smile trace up the corners of his face as he struggled not to reveal that the thought of her being here when he got back made him happy.

"See? It's just like boss said" One of his groupmates whispered, he shot them a glance as a hush washed over them. Cobra followed the rambunctious group out, locking the door behind them.

That probably wasn't necessary with Leader still being home, but it made him feel more at ease. "Is she your girlfriend?" One of them burst out receiving a dagger glare causing them to squeak but unlike usual they didn't back off. "Come on, Cobra now we know you have a soft side and all of this is just a facade." They laughed, teasing him continuously throughout the night as they patrolled the perimeter.

Leader was probably considering launching a turf war with their current expansion in their gang, they would likely need more ground than they were currently controlling. That was probably the reason he was constantly being sent to the edge for patrolling. Leader was probably hoping that he would be pushed over the edge by something near the border giving them a reason to attack the other neighborhood gangs. And well, argue it out if they had too.

A flash of Kinana's face came to mind. She shouldn't of been out here in the first place. He glanced at his duo, they were with him again tonight, Leader likely relied on him to keep them in check and prevent them from getting too wild.

Too bad, not tonight. He turned to them watching as they glanced up realizing he was staring them down, "Do you remember the faces of the people that were chasing Kinana the other night?" Smiles escalated on their faces. That wasn't a good sign.

"Are we going on a vengeance hunt?"

"No one dishonors or upsets our women! All two of them!"

Cobra cringed watching as they both babbled at them same time, they were talking too loud to clearly make out what they were saying and too fast to lipread. But damn were they excited. A sadistic smile spread across his face, they remembered. That was one thing he could rely on them for. And they were in the relative same area as the other night. "Either way, we're hunting them. They were too far in our territory anyway." Cobra explained as the duo jumped excitedly to follow him.

The rest of the group waved them off and continued with the duties they needed to check on and take care of before returning to where they had been camping out.

He watched the duo draw into the corners, picking up their goggles, and begin to scan the area. "Your right, they're back here again."

"Are you sure that's them?"

"Remember the one with that dangly earring?"

"Yeah, I see him."

Great. His duo was either arguing about something or talking in code. Whatever they were doing he wished they would hurry up with it so he could get his questions taken care of and also add an impact on the other gang's territorial advances. He needed to crush both of those situations with one strike.

"One's darting. That's the guy that was freaking out because they lost her. The other didn't seem to mind so much. I would chase him." His duo instructed as Cobra glanced up at the situation from the corner he had drawn into.

Cobra picked up his weapon, "Don't worry about him. He's mine. Push the rest of them back. Give it to them quick." He hissed the instructions as his duo nodded. They knew when he was serious. And they didn't have any playtime tonight.

Cobra found himself lining against the darkness of the alleys running up one by one, only a slight brush of his hand against his pants pocket where one of his knives lined the inside. He would probably need that tonight. If he plain out shot them it would show he was serious, but most people don't live too long after that much blood loss.

Cobra needed them alive for a decent amount of time he didn't know how much information he was going to be able to pry out of them. If Kinana's parents were already dead-he tightened his hand on the rope of one of the guns he was carrying-then they had no reason to chase Kinana down.

The cops weren't a force in the city that was dominated by gang violence that schools burned down in a matter of an hour. They tried, but it was a waste of time. If you wanted to feel safe, truly safe, in a place like this you would make a pact with one of the gangs.

Cobra shook his head the ethics wasn't something he should've been thinking about. His feet pounded against the gravel probably doing the worse hiding job he had ever done while he was tracking the person whom had escaped from them rounding up the enemy gang that was on their territory.

Cobra pulled some of the rope out of his pocket measuring dragging it a crossed his teeth to prepare it and make sure he knew how much he had. He would have to jump this man. And if this man didn't know anything, well, someone better help him or Cobra would wind up later then he planned to for getting home.

He paused watching the person communicate with the other enemy-gang-member. Then continue on his way. Cobra followed in stealth behind him until he was close enough he could freely wrap the enemy's hands without little to not fight.

The person he had been chasing struggled to reaching for their knife. They kicked their shoe a blade exerting from it. Cobra let out a whistle, those were nice, he might have to take them, "Try anything and i'll slit your neck." He watched them shiver, their boot resealing itself with the acknowledgement that it hadn't been put to use yet. Cobra glanced at them slightly disappointed, maybe he wouldn't take these. They seemed to be malfunctioning. But at least that was on his behalf.

Cobra dragged the enemy into a rusted building, up towards the second floor where most of the windows were shut and into a darkened corner tying the top against a pipe hanging from the roof. There in the corner there was no risk of being found and no one could shoot him through the window. "Tell me everything you know." Cobra hissed, flipping his knife in and out of its holder for effect.

No answer.

Cobra sighed, flipping the knife again, "Come on, I know this isn't easy, but I've got a schedule to keep. And we both know i'm in the mood to get it done." Cobra ran the knife down one of the metal beams keeping the rusted building standing. He watched the man's feet shirvel obviously annoyed at the sound. Good. It expressed what he was going to do if he didn't get his answers.

"I'd rather bite my tongue." The man snapped, already attempting to untie the ropes.

"Their double knotted you aren't getting out." Cobra loaded his gun spinning the chamber causing the man to freeze. "I told you I'm on a schedule." He spun the barrel of the gun again for good measure. He opened the barrel staring at the fully loaded gun, maybe it would be interesting to offer a game of russian roulette. Well a sided a game. "Hey, I hope you know the game russian roulette, every minute you don't answer i'm going to attempt to shoot you."

"I thought you were in a rush." The man tried.

"I am, but I'm also bored, and what's a little game before I go?" Cobra let one of his ice cold laughters ring off of the metal walls.

"But what about-"

Cobra pulled the gun shooting just past where his head would be, "Ah, nothing. Guess you got lucky."

A shriek came from the man as he furthered his attempts to undo the ropes. Cobra hung his head back on the metal beam. "Anyone you care about?"

"No! Why would I tell you anyway!"

"Ah, but you do. Sat down for a couple poker games with them the other day. They hadn't even known I had been watching them for days. Poor soul." Cobra laughed.

The man sent him a terrified gaze, "If you touch him i'll kill you." He growled causing Cobra to let out a laughter.

"It was a bluff. But now I know there is someone I can look for." Cobra paused letting that information sink in. It was like a complete different man was standing in front of him, like the man had realized how dangerous Cobra truly was. "A little information is such a dangerous thing. That's what I've come here tonight. My client said they saw you with this girl and wants to know why." Cobra said slapping a picture that Leader had handed him previously in the night. He slapped it down like he had only received her picture from the client, just like he would any other day when he didn't have any attachments.

It pained him to do it as such, but he needed to make sure if this man _did_ somehow manage to escape they wouldn't understand the reasoning other than it was a job.

"No, I really will die, even if I get out of here I'll die if I tell you about her."

Cobra smiled. That was a start, that man did have information on her. "Tell me. Or-" Cobra stood up pulling the other rigid knife out of his pocket.

It was a little rusty, but that was the point. If they did escape they were going to get tetanus anyway. But his prey never escaped, his fangs were sharp as a cobra. Cobra ran the knife down the man's back cutting open a suit that was likely hard to find in this kind of area. He paused, examining the man's reaction, a cold-hard eye, he liked the other facial expression that said he was getting his way, "Or I'll look for him." He whispered following it up with a smile that showed his rather sharp canine teeth.

"She's covered in it. Okay. She's covered in it. She may try to hide it but they're still there." The man gasped, Cobra pushed the knife further into the jacket, it was likely that it was nearly to the point that he was cutting the skin.

"Explain more clearly."

The man took a breath panic lacing his eyes, "She's covered in the formula that's going to be revolutionary to gangwars." He explained. Cobra shot him another glare still annoyed with the fact that this man was refusing to explain clearly.

Or lacked the understanding of what he was talking about. Cobra considered going back to his duo to tell them to grab the other person they had found, but it was likely that they had already either destroyed the other side so much they ran home or that person was dead.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, explain clearly."

"She has tattoos decoding the formula for a heavy drug that the gang leaders know will be a highly valuable substance around here. That's all I know. Leave him alone."

Cobra scoffed loosening his grip on his knife, this man was in some position to be making demands. Kinana was going to be targeted by the other gangs for this formula. "How many people know about this formula?"

"We've heard about at least two or three gangs, each is already devising a plan on how to find her."

Cobra took a breath. Why couldn't this be easy? Why was she covered a tattoo for a drug that would be targeted by various gangs? What did that drug do?


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Cobra stared down at the ground, his feet near the edge of the ledge, he wasn't ready to consider the possibilities of what they're futures were meant for. There wasn't a guarantee if they left the area that they would actually be safe. How could he figure out who she was actually safe from? His eyes scrutinized the sidewalks wind blowing through his hair to assure him how exposed he was.

It was unusual the night was quiet, but unlike other nights where he would be twitching desperate for some action, he was calm. He needed that time. He needed to think. He wanted to know what he was supposed to do. No. He knew that, he knew exactly what he was supposed to do: report this new information to Leader and continue on with his life. And he knew that was the right thing to do, maybe it would turn out differently then it would then it would with other gangs. He grinded his teeth, that would prevent her from being able to leave. He wanted to know how he was supposed to protect her, but there was no one able to tell him that himself.

That gang that stole her away probably also orchestrated the attack on the school to negate all information of her disappearance. He grinded his teeth knowing what that would mean. By this time they would be looking around in places she probably would've felt safe, meaning she wouldn't be able to return there. Her house, the school, and any other place she would've considered safe.

His face twitched with probably what should've resembled a smile. It was more likely a mix of the emotions that were dwelling within his chest. He was actually happy but the same reason he was happy also disturbed him on a different level. They wouldn't even think to check with the rival gang. He had his duo take care of all of the witnesses and now they only had to hope that each of them had personalities similar to deserters so that no one would come looking for them.

"Come on, you two let's go." Cobra called to his duo who answered him with collective grunts of now wanting to listen to him. "We're probably in this area again tomorrow anyway." He reasoned with them. It was like he was babysitting children that had just started to have fun at a park. Other than this park was full of people who participated in gangs, drugs, violence, and the buildings had deteriorated into rubbish.

"But Cobra, five more minutes!"

"Yeah! We'll tell Kinana you were mean to us!"

His duo had a sparkle in their eyes tonight, there was some sort of teenage rebellion blooming in their eyes. He blew a piece of hair out of his eyes, "Like she'll believe you." Before turning to head back towards where they had been keeping their base.

"But Cobra, tell us about her." One of his duo's eyes lit up, Cobra felt a pang of jealousy wondering if he really knew that much about her after these several years thinking she had moved away. Also, he didn't like that glow in his eyes.

"Cobra, don't get jealous! You've been around long enough of course he wants to know about you, it's not like we can just ask you about how you grew up-" The other member of his duo stopped abruptly looking at the ground. Like asking about where he was from had become some form of taboo.

It wasn't really, but he appreciated the sort of gentleness he never expected to find when he joined a gang, sure he was getting used to the stereotypical things that gangs had to do: hide a body or two, turf wars, exchange of drugs for an exchange of money, it wasn't that sort of fairytale he was living-obviously-but for a gang the place wasn't that bad. If you were on their side.

"I grew up near that school that had burned down, I had two parents, lived a relatively normal life, I think I attended band once or twice after the first year, after assuming I was dead along with the rest of the school my parents abandoned me along with my two little sisters rushing out of town as soon as possible. And I have a crush on the gentlest soul the school had ever seen." He sighed. There wasn't that much to explain. Other than the horrid situation of the school and that gang that he wasn't going to one day destroy down to their very edges, he was a pretty normal guy. A pretty normal guy that just had been through some rough shit and lived.

The duo had their hands in their pockets and had begun wandering ahead of him with smiles on their faces as if they were daring him to walk past them, damn they had some sort of wild-hair this week, when they stopped a look in their eyes that they couldn't understand what they were looking at. Much like someone rereading a line over and over again knowing their one-hundred percent capable of understanding the language but all's their brain is understanding at that moment in time is fuzz.

Cobra pushed past them, he was in-charge of their trio so it was his job to protect them from whatever hell they were about to walk into-their base was on fire. And not just the kind you can pat out with a coat. He heard the duo drop to the ground just enough room to glare over the hill as they quickly recounted the ammunition they had left. "Do you think they know we stole her? Why would they come back for her?"

"We embarrassed them that's why." His duo was muttering rapidly and quickly and the concocted a plan to get rid of as many rival-gang members are possible. "Where would she be?"

"Where would Leader be?" Their continued muttering made it hard to think. He understood exactly what kind of thoughts they were trying to mutter out, they were attempting to make a rescue but there were too many combatants on the ground and not enough ammunition for them to survive. He watched the flames lick the remainder of the roof of where they had been staying, the roof tumbled to the ground causing a loud scream of whoever it had fallen on outside.

"Watch my back." Cobra muttered glaring towards the door.

A hand grasped around each of his wrists, his duo was attempting to restrain him, "We can't let you do that. We're here to protect you too."

"She's not even a member of our gang." Cobra muttered, there was no reason for her to be stuck in the middle of whatever this is.

"You don't even know if they're still in there."

"She is, I just know." Cobra snapped. The duo nodded then returned to tallying their ammunition.

"You better run fast man." One of them muttered as they reloaded their gun, positioning it so Cobra could make a clear pathway into the house. It didn't even take two seconds for him to turn around and dart as fast as he could towards the house, the sounds of guns firing everywhere. He just kept running today he would have to entrust the duo with his life instead of the other way around. He made it into the house, the flames reaching for him as he attempted to kick them away causing the flame to grow as some of the crumbling house dropped onto the floor.

"Kinana!" He shouted digging through the rubble as he attempted to open each door in the house. He darted up the stairs opening his door. Nothing. He opened her door checking what he could of under the bed through the closets anywhere she could possibly fit to hide. Nothing. He darted into Leader's room the furthest down the hall. Wood had collapsed in the doorway it was almost impossible to get in, the room was an utter mess, but there at the back remained two silhouettes.

Cobra felt himself physically relax until one brought a gun up, "Who's there?' Leader's voice shouted calm, collected, and administrating a hint of psycho he was well known for in the midst of a turf war. Cobra pushed another log out of the way barely having enough energy to speak as he pushed his way into the room, a bullet flew past his head, "who's there?" Leader shouted, he was holding an unconscious Kinana.

Cobra felt a hint of jealousy wishing he had been there to protect her, but also relieved that Leader had obviously protected her from something. "Leader, it's me. Cobra. Stay there, there's a lot to move." Cobra felt his hand brush a nail barely escaping what he probably would've needed a tetanus shot for.

Leader tensed when he finally got towards them, only lowering the gun slightly, "How can I know you're Cobra?" Leader hissed towards him, letting a slight laugh escaped Cobra's lips.

"How could you no-" He paused looking towards Leader's eyes, ash had spread a crossed them. "Geez, you should've tried to escape here, you're going to go blind if you leave yourself like that." He muttered wishing he hadn't been away for so long, wishing he knew exactly what was happening.

He could see Leader's muscles physically relax, "I couldn't leave her here, you trusted me." He whispered, then paused, "I-we've got bigger problems."

Cobra glanced towards him in the process of attempting to remove the ever-assembling debris from the doorway. "Kinana's not breathing."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Cobra felt his hands instinctively move for a pulse, he wasn't sure what he was doing, and it wasn't like his school or rather any respectable adult figure was around when he was younger to teach him how to save a life. Maybe if he had, had that knowledge they wouldn't be in this situation right now. "Where is everyone right now?" Leader muttered hesitantly removing his grip around Kinana as if he was still testing if Cobra was really standing in front of him.

Cobra picked up Kinana, supporting Leader on the other shoulder, and begun to push his way out of the hideaway. "It's a mess out there, I can't tell you exactly where everyone is. A madhouse." Cobra let a sarcastic laugh escape.

He trudged through the place they had been calling home struggling to avoid intense flames, knowing that they weren't going to be getting out without at least second-degree burns, but hopefully he'd be able to avoid worse-case-scenario situations, but Kinana was already unconscious and Leader was blind. His circumstances weren't stacking up well against each other.

Cobra glanced towards the front door, it was the only exit he could see at the current moment in time that he might be able to get three people through almost at the same time, he took a breath knowing his luck was running low tonight. He hoped his duo was still out there, waiting patiently, and not discovered by the other gang which had invaded. Cobra rolled some wood out of the way with his foot struggling to move as fast as he should have been especially for a rescue mission.

Cobra dragged his feet willing himself to go faster. He pushed his way out of the house struggling to knock over each piece of debris that had fallen into his path, right now he was taking no survivors and that included the inanimate objects that dare lay in his path. Shots fired a crossed the porch as someone darted right in front of him chasing someone.

There wasn't enough time to check who it was, he had to keep pushing back towards his duo. Once he was there those two would manage to keep the two leaning on his shoulders safe so he could submerge himself in the battle and end it.

Cobra scrutinized the two, one in his arms worrying the life out of him and the other with little-to-no chances of seeing again if he didn't fix it soon and wheezing with the feeling that he was about to have an asthma attack.

Cobra glanced up looking for the location his duo was hiding or where he had left them, scrutinizing the battle field as someone from the opposite gang pulled a knife from their pocket charging right for them.

His hands were full there was no way to defend each of them. "Cobra, what's happening?" Leader's voice sounded panicked and less confident than he was used to, it was unnerving hearing his voice shake when Leader was supposed to be the one to 'lead' them through these situations no matter what with his charisma and dependable leadership skills. "Cobra?" Leader stated feeling himself swung around unsure what was happening with the sound of chaos around him.

Cobra moved Leader to the opposite side, holding Kinana tighter, and swinging his back to the attacker. Shots fired throughout the crowd. A total of six. Cobra held his breath. It was as if those six shots were the only thing he was capable of hearing even with the screaming, curse words, and weaponry that the battlefield was being drowned in. Cobra glanced out of the corner of his eye towards behind him. The man was dead: three shots on each side, his duo had shot the man three times each to confirm the kill. Cobra glanced towards the trajectory of where the shots came from already limping over towards where they would be.

His heart hoping for opposite things, such as one of them coming to help him carry these two back to safety while he also hopped that neither of his duo would leave their positions because they were both better shots when they were shooting together. It was also easier for them to watch easier backs that way.

He felt conflicted and selfish, but one thing he knew was he had to get these two to safety. Cobra's grip tightened on Kinana, he still wasn't sure what to do. He had never learned how to deal with this situation, but he was desperately hoping that she would magically wake up. Lies. He knew what to do in this situation.

Let the emotion fade in his eyes, bury them out back so no one else would have to, drink his life away and hope no one would wake him until he had slept the depression from burying yet another he cared for again.

Cobra set Leader down near the duo, Dimitri and Desmond scrutinized the situation running towards Leader to question him on everything that was happening, Cobra felt his hands shake: repeatedly reaching towards Kinana. He was shaking her by the shoulder hoping that she would open her eyes. This was a battlefield there was no time for sleeping it wasn't safe to close her eyes.

"Leader, what's happening?" Desmond shouted, staring over his shoulder watching the house and their dreams of living somewhat normally burn.

Dimitri pushed Desmond out of the way, "Calm down, he's hurt. We need to get to a place to deal with this." Dimitri was already moving, searching his pockets for any clean towels, he found some. "I'm lacking water, but don't open your eyes until we get somewhere safe, can you do that?" He explained as Leader huffed at him, "Well, you're going to have to." Dimitri continued, Leader grabbing for his arm.

"No, Dimitri take care of Kinana first."

Dimitri froze glancing towards the woman on the ground already pale in color, "Cobra! Say something next time someone's in this state!" He was yelling as he glanced towards the panic-stricken Cobra they had never seen before.

Dimitri shoved Cobra aside, physically startling him, the teen had never been so aggressive before, "you should've known this basic, stop whatever you're doing and-and not do that, just bring that person to me, I can't have you screwing this up." Dimitri's voice was becoming harsher and harsher to adhere to his words. But Cobra was used to it, when Dimitri thought he was going to lose something he became aggressive as a sort of defense mechanism he had learned.

"Cobra, she'll be fine. Dimitri has an intense interest in the medical field." Leader sighed leaning his head back.

Desmond glanced towards them, then back at the battlefield, "We better find somewhere safe to go until this battle clears out."

Leader shook his head, "When do you think this battle will subside?" he was whispering, wishing someone would tell him what was happening in what sounded similar to chaos.

Cobra glared towards the fight wondering how long it had already been ragging to create flames so high in the sky. "Now that you're out of there, everything might start cooling down, we don't know. We don't know what they came for." He sighed as Leader shook his head.

The next few moments Cobra felt like he was struggling to process as Leader opened his mouth shaking his head, "They were insistent that we had stolen some form of chemical formula from them." Cobra felt his eyes slide a crossed away from scrutinizing the field to where Dimitri was attempting to resurrect Kinana.

His eyes observed the situation his brain not understanding what was happening as he watched Dimitri press his lips to Kinana's. Cobra felt his hands move on their own ripping Dimitri away by the collar, "What the hell are you doing?"

Dimitri's eyes were on fire now, but then softened, "You really didn't know."

"Know what, huh? Why the hell were you doing that?" It was going to take more than the will of a thousand monks to keep his patience in check at this moment.

Leader's voice was regaining its confidence but still wavered in confusion, "What's happening? Desmond explain what's happening."

"It's called cpr, she's suffering from smoke inhalation, it might not be enough either. Cobra, she's going to die, get off of me." Dimitri snapped forcibly removing Cobra's balled fist from the collar of his jacket. "It'd be a lot easier to ask you, but you obviously have no idea how to properly perform cpr, you didn't have enough time to receive an education in the basics other then disinfect and band-aid." Dimitri sighed turning back to Kinana, searching around her wrist for a pulse.

Cobra felt himself stand further back knowing he probably should've just trusted Dimitri, but the impulse to punch him was still boiling in his veins-Kinana coughed-Cobra felt himself dart forwards, he could see a smile on Dimitri's lips out of the corner of his eyes as he reached for Kinana. Dammit. The kid could tease him later or whatever, it didn't matter, as long as Kiana was alive.

"Erik?" She whispered as he nodded, "Ah" She whispered looking like she was going to close her eyes again.

"No, wait, don't do that. We need to get out of here." He whispered as Dimitri shook his head.

"Let her sleep, she's breathing now, but we're going to need actual doctors." Dimitri explained. He was scrutinizing their situation between Leader likely going to be blind, just saving Kinana's life to where she was barely stable, and what they had considered to be their home was in flames their options weren't looking quite lovely.

Screams that changed the pace of the fight came a crossed the field loud and clear, "They have grenades! They have snipers!" Cobra felt himself turn back to staring over the hill knowing that those sounds were never good. Both of the adversaries darted away from where their home was burning unsure who had the grenades and the snipers.

They hadn't had the time to collect either of those things. His group glanced in the direction of where everyone with a reasonable amount of self-preservation was darting away from, the earth was shaking as they watched the flames on their house change from a natural orange to white outstretching and tumbling a crossed the fields. Cobra found himself moving thoughts of losing this family spinning around in his brain.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"I can still hear you." Leader sighed, his head turning straight towards the door. Cobra felt his shoulders fall, "Don't give me that look." Leader set the book down in his lap as he moved his head as if he were looking directly at him. Cobra had just barely touched the edge of the door when Leader called out to him seemingly as-if he knew exactly who was at the door.

"Come on, why are you so intuitive even though you're blind." He shook his head plopping himself down on the end of Leader's bed, acknowledging the book that was laying in Leader's lap. He paused, scrutinizing the way Leader's hands tightened around the book acknowledging that he had been caught, "One of the duo was muttering about braille books, do you want one?"

Leader shook his head, "It won't do any good. No one ever taught me how to read braille."

Cobra shook his head, "The competent Leader we've always looked up to and need right now is fretting over something he would've mastered in an hour."

Leader snapped his head up his field of vision would've been glaring directly at him, to the point it didn't matter Leader could still put the feeling of fear that they deserved down the enemies backs. It sent chills through him how spot on Leader was, especially about affairs that he seemingly-had no information with beforehand, "I'm worried Cobra, about more than one thing. There are plenty of things I should demand you explain to me this very moment. The kind of things any other gang would've already had you excited for. But i'm patient and I know you'll explain when you're ready, but your behavior has been upsetting various people lately."

Cobra shook his head remembering the compound he had burned to the ground the day before. "Sorry, I got a little carried away, I've been a little too much lately." Cobra found himself glaring at the floor a flame igniting in his heart as he attempted to keep his voice level.

"I'm not talking about that. Everyone seems to approve of the reason you burned that last building to the ground. I'm talking about your secretive behavior, how you're constantly on edge, and you barely talk to anyone. Sheesh you barely even acknowledge Kinana like you're protecting her from something but you're just making it worse."

Cobra grinned his teeth, it wasn't like he had the right to argue, Leader was right. His odd behavior would've gotten him executed by now. And he was acting almost psychotic at this point in time. He glanced towards Leader in this darkened room his almost silver hair running along the sides of the bandages that covered Leader's eyes, a book in hand, and a glare on his face. Leader was expecting a straight answer. "I-"

"It's the girl isn't it?"

Cobra shut his mouth again waiting for Leader to talk.

"I'll take that as a yes, do you know why they're after her?"

"I'm looking for answers, but I can't find them all like this. So, i'm trying to bring whoever will have the capabilities to answer my questions to me." The words ripped out of his throat with the edge of a growl harsher than he expected.

Cobra felt his knee twitch in silence, he needed to know what Leader was thinking, he needed some direction. It was the second time in his life that the place he had called home was snatched away from him. Sure, he had burned his first house down, but that wasn't his home. It wasn't where he felt safe and where he was expected for heck's sake those filthy liars had left him behind.

Leader shut the book that was lying in his lap, gave a quick shake of his head, and began to speak, "I understand that we're more of a gang than any other well organized organization, but I've felt that although we're each rough around our edges that we're each growing up to be decent people. I need you to tell me why they're after someone who doesn't even seem like she belongs on this side of the country."

Cobra glanced at the floor where Leader's flame torn boots lay. The boots were still matted in blood, they were ripped at the edges, and the flames had burned them down to the laces.

Leader likely had lost his sight in order to protect a woman he had only met that week. Cobra's teeth clicked together as he attempted not to grind them, "I interrogated someone." Cobra felt his shoulders tighten, in this state he knew his responsibility should probably be to protect Leader until they managed to get his sight back. His foot twitched thoughts running through his head at what he was expected to do now and what would be the right thing to do.

Leader turned his head almost as if he was staring at something, "Cobra, go open those windows for me."

Cobra felt himself flinch as he looked towards him, Leader had never been in this room before, it was the first of many hideaways he had planned for them.

Leader shook his head, "You forget. I may be blind but I am not powerless. I am the leader of a gang for a reason, blind or not. I am powerful."

The weight the he was holding wasn't becoming lighter, but he was becoming stronger. And that's how they would survive.

"Cobra, would you get that?" Leader asked. Cobra moved towards the door, opening it to find a wide-eyed Kinana.

The way her eyes twitched around examining his face and the way her hands were shaking as he brushed them opening the door sent an askew feeling through his chest.

His eyebrows moved together as he attempted to repress any registered shock that may have bloomed onto his face. She didn't know that he was up here. Her eyes darted towards Leader's crippled boots.

Cobra felt himself cringe wondering if he should see his way out. There was probably some things she wanted to talk about that she wasn't ready to share with him. He felt himself instinctively begin to move feeling like he was intruding on something he shouldn't have, a bitter taste in his mouth even when he knew better.

A warmth surrounded his hand as she pulled him back. Her hand was much smaller than he had imagined and was shaking the way a leaf did in autumn. Her hand tightened around his as she steeled her feet drawing a breath.

Leader flipped a page in his book, before speaking to them again, "Dear Kinana? Is everything okay?"

Kinana shifted from foot-to-foot as she scrutinized the room regret lingering in her face, her hand tightening around Cobra's, "Actually there's something that I need to talk to you about."

Her hand tightened around his own, as if she was fighting with figuring out which words she wanted to say and which information would be safe for her. "I'm the reason that your house burnt."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The sound of her breathing moved throughout the room as they each sat quietly waiting for their turn to speak. "It's my fault that your house burned." She stated. The words were louder than they should've been.

Leader was well known for retrieving justice one way or another for their gang, it was how they had become one of the top gangs in the area. However, this ideal instilled a contrary feeling to what it usually did inside his chest.

Cobra felt himself take a breath waiting for a wild reaction instead seeing something that contrasted his first ideals. "Kinana-dear, unless you were the one that walked into the house holding that torch, which you clearly weren't, I wouldn't blame you for burning the house down." Leader sighed shaking his head while making a gesture for them to each pull up a chair.

Cobra shrugged wondering if Leader could even tell he was making the action before rearranging the room wishing that he could go get the kitchen stairs instead. But that would be too obvious to the rest of the people in the house, this was something that would have to stay between the three of them for now.

They each settled into their own chairs, "What i'm saying is that i'm probably the catalyst to why this happened." She repeated as Leader nodded.

Cobra felt his feet shuffle causing him to receive a glance from Leader. He wasn't sure that he wanted to keep this from Leader. This information was important, but at the same time he wasn't ready to share this information with him.

He didn't know what Leader would do with it. "My parents were doctors, which somehow led them to being able to make weapons, poisons, and genetic-weaponry for the gang we were being held captive by." Kinana explained, she paused her eyes shifting around the carpet seeming to be searching for an escape route, "I have a tattoo a crossed my back, that has a powerful drug coding."

Leader's jaw snapped shut, he was mad. "How dare-why" Leader's voice was rising, Leader took a breath. "I'm not mad at her." His voice dissipating with each syllable. Cobra picked up the short chair he had knocked over. "Why would your parents put such a dangerous thing there? Surely, there were hundreds of other places that someone can store information."

Cobra's eyes darted down towards where the page's on Leader's book was shaking, he attempted brushing the action off by flipping the page over and smoothing the book.

It seemed as though she was scrutinizing each detail of the floor, although what she was really doing was avoiding looking towards Leader's face. Cobra felt a growl of vengeance rumble in his throat against whoever had taken Leader's eyes, their home, and their feeling of security.

"The people who held my family hostage thought it'd be the easiest way not to loose the information. It's kind of hard to destroy information when you have to burn it off of your back." Kinana glanced towards the floor again.

Cobra grinned his teeth. Whoever was orchestrating the situation she had been trapped in was powerful. They had managed to make her entire family disappear without leaving so much as a second thought in the community and had managed to find a way to save the information on this powerful drug while managing to create a diversion to protect the recipe so they would be the only ones with it.

A thought occurred to him. "Do you know what this drug does?" He asked. He didn't think so. She shook her head.

After a few seconds of neither of them speaking Leader spoke up, "I didn't think you would. Of course I'm mad that our old house burned, but there's plenty of buildings to go around. I need to work on regrouping my members, but it's not like you were the one sitting there with the blowtorch." He explained as Kinana shuffled in her chair. "I said we would protect you, and what kind of reliability of a leader would I have if I couldn't manage that?" He gave her a slight scoff then shook his head again. "Now, Cobra, would you please gather the proper supplies and intel so I can have a brief meeting with our neighbors?"

Cobra felt himself shuffle, Leader must've lost his sanity along with his vision. Their neighbors? There was only a couple other groups of people crazy enough to live near them. And two of three had gone absolutely insane from the living conditions. "Which ones?"

Leader's face stretched into an unnatural smile. Cobra had only seen the smile once or twice. He wasn't ready to see that lopsided grin that tottered on the edge of insanity. It was a smile that made some of the other gangs scream to retreat with just one look at him. That plummeting feeling in his chest carved out a bigger cavern. That one.

Cobra stood up, beckoning Kinana to follow him, it was a signal that they were done talking to him for the night. Leader's blood was pumping, he was excited and that wasn't a good sign of what their lives were about to plummet into.

He would have to tell his duo to make sure everyone knew to watch their backs. Cobra took a breath, he was about to go get the ones that didn't bother, or rather, weren't able to hold their insanity back the way Leader did. Their worlds were about to spin out of control the way they told themselves it was.

He let each footfall make a sound against each step, his pacing probably should've been faster. He wasn't ready to discuss these things with the people that absolutely needed to hear them. He took another breath, all the air in this house wouldn't of been enough for him tonight. He wasn't ready, but he didn't have that luxury.

Cobra's feet moved themselves into the kitchen as he glanced at his duo. They were rocking the chairs at the table one of them with their feet on the table scurrying to pull their feet down as they both sent glances his way waiting for a status report on Leader's condition. Cobra pulled a key from his pocket reaching for the cabinets above the sink, unlocking them, and tossing the guns towards his duo. "He'll be fine. But he's not a good judge of company, watch your backs when they come over." His duo nodded. One tightened his hand around the guns he had caught while the other shut Leader's precious log.

Cobra felt himself move outside, surprised to find Kinana sitting on the porch outside the door. He had time, it wasn't dark yet, their unruly neighbors wouldn't have arisen yet. They were teetering on the edge of insanity for more reasons than simple overdoses or narcotics. It was a buildup of time that happened around the same time of Kinana's family's disappearance, the time of the attack on the school, and the time that this entire city became uninhabitable to the sane. He placed himself so that he would be sitting next to her, her eyes scrutinizing something far, far away.

He wanted to see the people that had put that look in her eyes burn the way this city met its doom. Slowly, creeping up on them, but then all hell breaking out when they realize it's much too late to fix any of it. But, right now, he wanted to restore her sense of security. He wanted to grasp that hand that sat there on the porch antagonizing his vision. Cobra pulled his hand back, she probably didn't trust anyone to be near her at this moment in time. He had to respect that no matter what. He glanced at the clouds that were swirling in her eyes her heart was like a storm and he had to be sure he was ready to brace it when that storm finally let through. How stupid.

He would walk through years of the worse storms if it were for her, she was the last person left. And he'd be damned if he was going to let anyone take that from him. Even if that would be her-a light weight dropped down on top of his hand.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Erik found his eyes darting around as if they were chasing floaters in his vision, an eerie feeling rolling up his spine. He knew this sense of security was something that only an insane person would have in this area. He found himself within his high school, "Erik, come on wake up man, the teachers looking" One of his friends slurred repeatedly kicking his desk. This was the third time this week that the teacher had woken him up in class during the week. He knew that the teacher was at his wits end with him.

But, his mind was elsewhere right now. Maybe it was the drugs his group had decided to mess with last night, but his mind was definitely reeling and the words most people were saying were sounding absolutely slurred.

He could barely make a recognition of what that writing was on the board. It seemed to be some form of Korean writing. Another kick came to his seat. What the heck did he do last night? Everything felt like a blur in his head, each kick to his seat felt like a hammer slamming down onto his head, he had to find out what it was. And kick that stuff into the street.

There was a word for this feeling. A kick came to his seat. What was it again? Buzzed? That word didn't sound quite right, but the thought of doing it again left a bad taste in his mouth.

Drugs weren't going to be an outlet for him anytime soon, even with the new array of chemicals that were popping up in the city more and more frequently. His friend sent another kick into his chair this time lurching him forwards. "Do you mind? I'm thinking!" Erik snapped managing a harsh-whisper.

"Great, that's wonderful for you to join the rest of the class in today's lecture." Erik looked up to see his teacher snapping open and shut a book that he had never opened in the entire class, _"Drugs & Effects in Society, And Other Such Things You May Like to Know" _

Erik sighed, blowing some hair out of his face, he didn't want to deal with this self-righteous snob right now. He could barely read the words on the paper with the letters running all over the place, but now the teacher expected him to read something that was on the board? "I think I need glasses." He slurred, squinting at the board.

Man, he hoped that slur wasn't enough to figure out what he had been doing last night. It was a one-time thing, and this situation right now was definitely proving that he didn't want to do it again, hey he at least to bother to show up today. Which probably wasn't the smartest decision, but he didn't want to stay home either.

So, here he was. He wondered if he should tell the teacher that he felt sick or if the teacher was thinking that he was still high or even hungover.

Erik risked a glance towards his teacher knowing that his eyes were likely bloodshot and easy to spot. His teacher scratched the back of his neck, a piteous look on his face, then began to move forwards, "Hang in there buddy, we've all had our days."

Erik felt his head tilt on its own visibly showing the questioning face, for some reason these words were clear but his brain didn't seem to understand the concept of what he meant, it was like static running through his head. His normally stern teacher who was always pestering him suddenly seemed as though his gaze was softer today.

His friend sent him another kick to his chair, "I told you not to go with those guys last night. They give me a bad vibe." Erik felt himself unconsciously nod. He wasn't wrong, everything was a blur and the words sounded like static. There wasn't much of a place to go home to go. And there wasn't much of a place here, but at least people talked in this area.

"I know, I know. I was just curious. But now i've gone and lost my mind."

His friend let out a stiff laugh, "I never knew you had one." he joked.

"Hey!" Erik snapped spinning around as the bell rang for the next class, "rude man! I thought you were on my side!"

Steps clicked over towards where they were, it was too late for him to recognize that they were coming towards him. Erik glanced at the shoes in his field of vision, assuming at first that they were simply walking by, smart people stayed away from people like him.

And he knew those shoes belonged to someone who was smart, someone who would get out of this dump. Well, that was until they weren't moving, he glanced up accidentally meeting her intense gaze. Kinana. Her nose was scrunched up as critical and disappointed eyes scrutinized him over. It felt worse then the teacher's piteous looks, it was different.

The look the teacher had been giving him was as if the teacher was betting that he was going to do something like he did last night since the moment he stepped through the classroom door.

The look he was receiving from her was as if she thought he knew better. He did. He just wasn't having it last night. Maybe he was trying to make a stand against his family, but it did the exact opposite. His father handed him more of the stuff when he finally staggered home and told him to get out.

But the look Kinana was giving him was the one he must've wanted on some level from his family. Disappointment circled through her eyes, she was hoping from more out of him. Two expert doctors' daughter and he expected that she wouldn't be able to tell that he was getting into some form of drug just from the faint whiff of him or a glance at him? What a waste.

Erik glanced up memorising her lip just in-case he would have to lipread whatever was being said to him, or that's what he wanted to tell himself that he was doing. She pierced her lips together again without saying a word she left.

"Erik-man, chase her. You've got her attention finally." His friend whispered as he watched Erik stand up from his seat. Erik slumped back down into his seat. "What the heck? Man, you've got to chase her, prove to her it isn't what she thinks it is!" His friend muttered.

"How am I supposed to do that when she's right?" Erik placed his head on the desk rolling a pencil up and down it.

His friend shook his head at him, "Let's go, Mrs. quee will kill us if we're late to intermediate-music again, especially when you're in the band." He had already moved towards the door.

Kinana darted back into the room fear running through her eyes. Erik found himself turning to the door watching it explode, the teacher rushing towards the door attempting to gather Erik's best friend up and stop the bleeding.

People were screaming and rushing towards the teacher in an attempt to be told what to do in the madness, the ruthless march of a planned attack echoed down the hall, panic flowed through his veins. He could feel his heartbeat pulsing in his right hand. The feeling of real panic awakening him from his half-conscious state.

Erik found himself glance in-between the window and his classmates, a puff of dark hair. A bluish-purple blob of hair drawing his attention. Erik glanced towards the window again. He darted towards Kinana moving in-between her and the door a terrible feeling overwhelming him. An army of people burst into the room firing shots sporadically throughout the room.

Cobra's eyes snapped open. It had been a while. He found that his body was already sitting up when he had awoken. His brain probably confused it in an attempt to escape the repetitive situation. He ran a hand through his hair, it had changed slightly. He could've lost her that day along with his best friend.

Cobra grinded his teeth together wishing that the nightmares would leave. They were starting to get twisted. It was that recurring memory of the night that the school became a building of corpses. Cobra removed the blankets heading down the stairs into the kitchen where he grabbed a drink. Or two. Maybe three.

"Another nightmare?" Leader asked making him jump.

"Leader, what are you doing down here?"

Leader laughed, turning the papers of the newspaper, "What am I? Confined to my room?"

"It's nearly three a.m." He explained.

Leader shook his head, "Cobra, it's okay to talk to people about these things."

Cobra set the cup down on the counter, "I never said I had nightmares."

"You never denied it either, you do understand that there's such a thing as PTSD, right?" Tonight Leader's voice made it sound like he was the most understanding human being in the world.

Cobra pulled up a chair, setting his cup down, and gestured to see if Leader wanted anything, he felt himself draw his hand back in slight embarrassment. Right. Leader was blind now.

"I don't want anything, thanks though." Leader laughed causing Cobra to move his hand away from the cup. He glanced towards Leader, tilting his head back and forth, was the blindness an act?

"I'm still blind Cobra, I can't see whatever facial expression you're gesturing, it's just normal you almost always offer something when you drink something." Cobra nodded, receiving a huff from Leader. "But seriously PTSD is something that happens, it's nothing to be embarrassed about it's normal."

Cobra sighed keeping a hold on his drink for more of something to do with his hands then actually drinking out of the cup. "It's not just memories, it's nightmares, they keep changing. Sometimes there's my little sisters looking like last time I saw them walking up and down the hallways before it happens. Sometimes, they're part of the pile, it was something I was getting used to. Able to push to the back of my head. But tonight it was as if Kinana had never left, tonight she ran back into the room right before that mess. I was literally choosing between her and myself. I taste disgust on my tongue." Cobra whispered wishing that Leader wasn't so easy to talk to.

"It doesn't have to be recurring memories. It's the minds mechanism. The easy way to explain it is like the mind is fighting itself. Your body has left the fight-or-flight mode and now your mind is working out that you might need these scenarios for the future without realizing that you're probably safe now."

"But we're not."

Leader set the paper down, "But we will be."

"Tonight was different. I've been wild as part of our gang with nothing to lose but each other and we each felt that mutually, but she's here now and I feel like there's more to lose then I felt before."

"There's a difference. With your duo that adore you, you see the hint insanity in their eyes, but you haven't seen that in her. Yet."

"She's not-"

"You just don't see it yet, maybe you'll be still as protective of her when you finally see her spark of madness or maybe it'll get twice as worse."

"She's not-"

"Cobra, we're all insane, that's how we live."

Cobra felt himself glance towards his socks as he sat at the table, pondering life, and the options that should've been laid out for him. "If you ever got out of this dump would you go to a college? Work a full-time job? What would we do with our lives?"

Leader shook his head, almost silver hair swirling around his chin, "I've lived like this for so long I don't think there really is a way out, I would probably just find another gang to run to." He sighed. "A more pressing matter would be what that drug on Kinana's back does and if it's actually valuable enough for the other gangs to hunt us down again."

Cobra nodded. There were questions he wanted to ask her, but he was sure that this wasn't one that she would have the answer for. "We could ask her to allow us to make the drug." Leader questioned bouncing ideas off of his head.

"We don't know what that drug can do."

"That's the point, if we can determine it isn't valuable or anything we can trick them into something else we have to determine how much to increase security." Leader shook his head like it was a basic that he had skipped over.

"It's on her back. We can't just be like, 'yo I want the drug info.' that'll freak her out. And she's been guarding it for so long there's no way she's just going to be luck, 'yup, sure thing, here ya go.'" Cobra felt the bitterness come off the edge of his voice. The answer was obvious. They should've increased security already.

If it wasn't the fact that she had just escaped from another gang into theirs, the fact that she had a tattoo for a chemical-drug they had commissioned themselves carved into her back, or that this gang burned down their original house looking for her during a turf war he wouldn't know what would determine this gang as 'potentially dangerous'. But none of these were options to increase security yet, Leader just had to know what it did. Darn him and his curiosity.

"We could always suggest to her the idea to cover it up with another tattoo to make it completely illegible." Leader prompted rolling a glass around the table. "Or we could ask her and use the drug to our benefit." Leader muttered, his incoherent mutterings coming to the surface. He was trying to think of what would be best for each of them, the gang was a whole included.

"And if that drug is used against us?" Cobra asked, receiving a darkened look from Leader. The darkness flashing through his eyes in the motion of a vortex, he was already considering all ends for that possibility. And which would cause more damage to their gang.

"Bos-Leader! Guys!" Desmond slid into the room, stumbling over the garbage as he picked it up once again, as he scurried to the table. Desmond scrambled for a pencil as he drew out their map.

Leader stood up, placing a hand on the table, "what's happening? Where's Dimitri?"

"It's okay, it's just Desmond scrambling through papers." Cobra his head at Desmond, this mess must've sounded like their safehouse was getting broken into, like the week was starting all over again.

"Dimitri went out on patrol a while ago and didn't come back with the people he left with." Desmond muttered staring down at the map, "I was hoping that meant he found something interesting to play with like usual, but he usually comes back eventually to get me." Desmond explained as he jotted onto the map.

"Could be he just lost his way for now. It is a new place." Cobra muttered, it was in Dimitri's nature to wander when he was feeling unsatisfied with something. But he had never wandered far enough for Desmond not to be able to find him before. Desmond nodded, slowly putting the map away. As Leader shuffled not used to their outbursts. "They usually come to me when they're worried about something, it'll be fine, Dimitri has wandering tendencies."

Leader shook his head, "I've got a bad feeling. I've seen it, Dimitri is a little less secure than Desmond. He'll stick closer to you, something he considers stable, well at least more stable than his life when things get rocky. Those boys they rely on you." Leader glared down into an empty glass unable to see the fierce gaze the echoed back at him.

"Go to bed Leader. It's early, and we've got a couple rough days ahead of ourselves." He sighed.

A soft rasping came to the door, later in the morning as Cobra found himself kicking of the blankets in annoyance. No one that lived in this house knocked. They just beat on the door until someone let them into their own home. He threw on a pair of pants as he scurried down the stairs and grabbed whatever coat he could off of the wall, he peered through the window next to the door. His eyebrows kneading themselves together. It was just a simply envelope. He unlocked the door proceeding with caution as he scooped it up, glancing each way before drawing himself back inside locking the door as he went.

He carefully pried the envelope open, away from his face, as he watched a letter and a picture fall out. " _Give the formula and the girl back,_ _ **neither damaged**_ _, and we'll return this one to you'all."_ Cobra felt his eyes squint at the chicken scratch. Anyone else under any other circumstances would have determined this letter for an elementary schooler's and chucked the thing for its illegibility. Cobra felt a piercing gaze run its way up from the back of his eyes.

He was going to be forced to choose. Between Dimitri and Kinana.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Cobra grinded his teeth together as the paperwork fell on the table. Whoever was in charge had thought of a vast majority of questions he would have regarding the situation. They weren't any new face to the fact of kidnapping.

He had several days to think, the information listed a time, place, who he could and couldn't bring, their demands and details for the trade, it listed everything but what would happen if he didn't show up on time with Dimitri.

Their demands were very explicit. He couldn't even write down a formula and bring it to them. It had to be the one that was on her back. They weren't taking any chances. Not today and not with this drug. And there was the fact that they knew where the safehouse was. Desmond was here. Dimitri wouldn't of given that away for the life of him. They wouldn't betray each other.

Cobra paged through the paperwork seeing if anything would give away where they were currently staying. Most of the information would probably be somewhere in the background of the picture they had sent of Dimitri to prove that they really did have him as a hostage, but he wasn't ready to look at that, yet.

He was counting seconds when Desmond would swoop into the kitchen a wide-eyed look in his eyes and damning him with his intuition. Cobra found himself counting the seconds before an explanation would be demanded from half of his duo.

Cobra paged through the paperwork, he needed more answers than he had to answer all of the questions that Desmond was going to be asking. He took a breath drawing the photograph again.

He braced himself not ready to scrutinize the picture. Dimitri was tied up with his hands above his head, the handcuffs contained so much rust even if they got him back safely they would have to take him to the hospital for tetanus. Pools with a similar color of the line that went down his cheek littered the floor, but the background was completely grey.

The only detail that was given away was the pipe that Dimitri was tied to, probably mouthing 'bitch', and not brutally injured. He was dealing with someone who had managed to kidnap Dimitri without a sound, this person was skilled in what they did and it wasn't their first go around at that either.

They had likely been watching during the chaos of the house burning and determined that the best exchange would be one that would make someone else freak out. Limiting his time and resources as he had to make sure that no one staged a glorious rescue. Which with the information that the envelope contained that rescue would definitely be botched.

Cobra took a breath. That was more than he had been expected. Dimitri was barely hurt, and conscious enough to be aggravated enough at whoever was taking a picture of him to be cussing them out.

Steps walked into the kitchen as Cobra rustled the papers back into the envelope. His heartbeating as he turned around wondering who was walking into the room. He felt his heart pound expecting Desmond to be standing there an annoyed look running through his face.

Silver hair blotted in the front of his eyes, Leader, "What's the matter?" Leader asked. Cobra crumbled the paper wondering if he should hide the situation and deal with it himself.

"The other gang took Dimitri." He whispered, the papers crumbling underneath his hand.

Leader let a low grumble escape from him. That wasn't an easy feat. Leader had the most vivid recollections of last time someone threatened to take Dimitri. The ideal of being imprisoned the way he was before he escaped the house that shared his blood was too much. There was no way he was going to let a stranger overpower him and take him.

Cobra glanced towards the picture, they had tightened the chains so they were digging into his skin. He could barely see the faint blood surrounding Dimitri's wrists. Well, the fact that the chains were too tight and that Dimitri was fighting to leave on his own probably contributed to how tight the chains were.

A light plop resounded from the stairs as Desmond walked into the room, he had been pacing since he had come home, "Whatcha lookin' at?" He asked snatching the picture up before Cobra could tighten his grip on the image. A dreadful look crossing his face.

"Cobra you understand that this means that we're not only missing Dimitri one of yours and Desmond's main partners but we're also missing a major medical advantage, if they keep him alive and find out the information that he knows they will put us a large disadvantage to them." Leader paused taking a breath. "Get him back. Now." Leader instructed as Cobra put his hands on the table.

"We have play-by-play details on what to do for getting him back."

"What do those hooligans want? Cobra, which gang is it?" Leader muttered annoyed in suspense and the fact that he knew they weren't going to let him handle the situation himself. Blind people usually don't use guns. Or lead gangs. Or anything that Leader was determined that he was going to try do anyway.

"They want Kinana and the formula."

Leader took a breath, holding his hands together, as he stared him down a thousand thoughts running through his brain. "We need to consider two things. Neither of you are going to like either option. The fact that we may not get Dimitri back-"

Desmond slammed his hand down on the table, "That's not fair! Dimitri's been through more than enough of that shit then any living being deserves! You wouldn't understand how he feels!"

Leader stood up, "Desmond be quiet. I am talking." Desmond backed up skidding the chair in the process before Leader sat back down. "Or we will have to give Kinana up-" Cobra shuffled, crossing and uncrossing his arms, he didn't want to compromise. Not tonight, not with people. They were both important to him.

"I need some time." Desmond swiped his gun off of the counter and storming out the back porch.

"We can't just leave him with them. Especially them." Cobra growled causing Leader to squint.

Leader shook his head, "We can't leave Dimitri with anyone. He's a valuable asset to our group. But at the same time if we return Kinana to them it'll eventually put him in danger anyway. I need time to think. Also, Cobra for goodness-sake tell me who the heck we're dealing with!"

Cobra took a breath, "the people who took out the school."

Leader froze, ideas cycling in his eyes, pushing a hand into his hair, "It makes sense that Desmond doesn't think we're going for Dimitri."

"We've been avoiding them so far until we had the man-power to obliterate them, but we just suffered a major loss."

Leader shook his head, "We have the advantage, we could always play it off that Dimitri isn't important to us, threaten to destroy the information on her back, then swoop in for a daring rescue." Leader muttered.

Cobra shook his head, "That's not going to work. They're insane. The minute we open our mouths to even whisper something along that lines they'll kill Dimitri."

"How do we know he's alive?"

Cobra glanced at the door, the sight of Desmond's shoulder sending a type of calm through his spine, "Desmond's intuition."

Leader nodded, "You always did relax your shoulders more after taking a glance at those two. I just thought that you felt like a brother figure to those two."

"I do. And that's the problem."

Cobra found himself opening the backdoor several minutes later, Desmond had his arms wrapped around his legs, the gun placed on his side, as he was bawling his eyes out. "Hey man, we'll figure something out."

Desmond shook his head, "Don't look at me, man, i'm a full grown guy. We wanted to look cool in front of you. How am I supposed to do that now that you've seen me lose my mind?" Desmond's voice crackled through the complaints.

Cobra plopped down next to him, his feet hitting the lower pavement below the porch, "Please, you haven't even graduated high school yet, you'll be a child in my eyes until then."

"Neither have you hypocrite." Desmond growled back finally looking up as he glared out into the yard, eyes sending daggers at each place he scrutinized. "How are we going to get him back?" Desmond's voice was raspy, he knew Dimitri was alive, but was frustrated at his inability to move.

"We're going to accept their demands."

Desmond looked up, wiping his eyes as he stared at Cobra, "What's the chances that they are going to keep good word on their promises?"

Cobra shook his head, they were probably slim to nothing. The minute they recognized that Cobra was an actual survivor of the high school incident which hopefully they never did, they would realize who exactly they messed with. And realize that his gang had been plotting their chaotic downfall for the last three years. Maybe more with the tension that was between the gangs.

"We're going to trade Kinana."

Desmond grabbed his collar wide-eyed managing to physically drag him forwards, "Are you insane?"

Oh, how he wished he was.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The screaming throughout the house was ridiculous and did not show their incognito features at all. They were probably being watched that meant this fight was a good thing. It would show that they were arguing instead of scheming. By the time they would make a decision they would comply to the demands. Which they weren't, not yet.

Desmond was a frantic mess, a moral battle ground. He wanted to save their friend who he knew was desperate at this moment in time. Dimitri would be relived to be freed but would kill them to find out they had traded Kinana for his life. Rage slithered through Desmond's eyes. Good. Cobra held his ground, he couldn't let them know that he was the one who cared more.

He paused, if they were being watched when the house burned they probably would've seen him punch Dimitri. No, he had displayed high levels of morals for a gang member in front of large packs of people. He was quick to the kill and extravagant, but he made sure to keep his morals as high as any gang member could hope for.

Images of torturing the man for information flashed through his head. So much for those morals he told himself he was going to keep. Where was he going to draw the line between morally accurate and what had to be done? His life was a blurry battleground of right and wrong, of his own morals.

Desmond picked up a glass ready to throw it, needing to take his anger out on someone, Cobra felt his feet brace themselves, he was okay with Desmond being as angry as he was they were within reason, but there was no way he was going to let Desmond throw that glass at him. Desmond dumped the cup over his head before storming up the stairs, "I need a shower" He muttered under his breath. Cobra felt the tension that had swelled in his shoulders relax for a moment before going back to sort out the information he needed.

He didn't have a plan nor was he compromising with the idea of handing of Kinana. He was waiting for Leader to come up with an outrageous plan to get them out of his this situation, when Kinana had gotten ahold of the letter and decided that she was going to go back herself. Their voices were running through his head with the same tone as though they were still in the room arguing the situation out with each other.

Leader sighed, attempting to rub his eyes instead rearranging the bandages so that Cobra would have to fix them later, "We can't let you do this. I promised you that you can remain with my people. I'm sure Cobra can go in your place to fix it"

"Yes, I'm sure and Cobra has such feminine legs to cross-dress to get into the base, find Dimitri and get out." Kinana crossed her arms, her tone carved with edge. It wasn't the tone she had when she first arrived, but something she must've summoned due to the fight of flight mode of the last week.

Cobra glanced down at his 'feminine-form', gang-work, fight-nights, and various other situations of being involved with a gang gave his muscles a similar from to an ancient Greek statue. Feminine indeed. "We could catch them off guard at least." Leader smiled, probably picturing going through with that plan just because Kinana had challenged him to do so. If Dimitri's life wasn't online Leader would have told him to do it. Go out to the battle ground wearing a dress, likely something short and scandalous. For kicks.

"If you make me wear a dress on the battlefield on want the most expensive one on the market." Cobra complain, wondering if Leader would actually match his unreasonable demands. He had before just because Cobra was testing the waters when he first became a member. When he first started with the gang, he was grateful. He was bitter. He was a whole jostle of emotions, but he felt the furious need to test Leader to how far he could push him over and over.

Leader shook his head, today wasn't a day to push the limits, "It'd be ridiculous to send you into this one under armed. Also, I hear heels aren't easy to walk in. I haven't ever seen you wear a pair of heels or I would send you in there otherwise." It wasn't the fact that he was pushing the limits. It was the fact that he thought that Cobra couldn't walk in heels. And Leader was not sending his people into this situation wearing a ridiculous outfit _and_ not wearing matching shoes to go with it. Leader's head moved as if he were staring at his hands that were crumbling the sheets underneath his fingers to the point he was ripping them. "I would go myself if I could. These losses aren't looking good on our situation."

Cobra felt a dark thought pass through him. If he could just find a willing and safe doctor, he could probably secure a new set of eyes in the upcoming battle. To replace Leader's destroyed ones. An eye-for-an-eye on a literal level. Even better if he could secure the ones from the person who took Leader's eyes, that would make a statement to whoever tried to attack them again.

Cobra turned towards where the window would've been if it wasn't cemented shut. His morals were probably cemented in the concrete that kept this window from being what it was meant for. And they would stay there until this whole fiasco was over. They would stay there until he got the heck out of this town even if he had to peddle a rusted tricycle. They would stay there until the day he died. Cobra took a breath and a glance at Leader, he would do this.

Cobra felt himself open his eyes, he was sitting at the kitchen table again, the recollection of what had just occurred on the higher floors still running through his head. Any other day, any other gang, he would've turned to Leader, strapped the highest heels on that he could find, and sling a gun over his back. But not today. Not with this gang.

His eyes moved to scrutinize the situation, the sound of the shower flowing through the background of the kitchen, Kinana was going up and down the stairs with several buckets of water. Taking care of Leader's eyes was just an excuse, she was distracting herself. How was she supposed to actually make good on her word to go back to the people who had murdered off her parents when they weren't useful anymore? There was no way they would treat her well especially since on her escape she shot two of their men. Cobra felt himself squint his eyes, she may have shot them, but that's all she ever said. It was likely that unlike someone who was used to making sure that no one came back for them it was unlikely that she shot to kill or that she checked to make sure that they were dead. They were likely alive and looking for revenge.

Dread flipped in his stomach. He wasn't ready for all this information. Cobra knew he was a master planner and Leader didn't have his eyes so he couldn't use as much information as he would have previously. "I'm still plenty of powerful, Cobra." Leader had reassured him. Cobra shook his head. That was all part of an act that Leader put up so they wouldn't baby him, how was he supposed to leave this to Leader? It would be different if he had worked himself to being Leader of a gang while being blind his whole life, he would've known what he was working with, but Leader wasn't born blind, he had been blinded.

Desmond descend the stairs, a towel on his head, and weapons in his arms. He dumped the weapons along the table. "This isn't a rescue mission is it?"

Cobra shook his head. The fact that this was a rescue mission was unlikely, they had to consider the fact that Dimitri was already dead or tortured beyond sanity. They also had to consider that they were only after Kinana to get rid of her, so a. no one else could get the information about the drug and b. she knew something that they didn't want anyone else to know. "No, it's a mission for the insane." Cobra picked up one of Desmond's weapons examining it for any cracks. Desmond began moving his hands going through weapon by weapon, scrutinizing each one with the eye of an expert. He may have been young but their life on the streets he had to adapt to having eyes of an expert if they wanted to live.

"What are we going to do?" Desmond asked, his tone was dark, but his eyes were lit up.

Cobra shook his head, "It won't be fun like usual. We're going to show Kinana as bait, take both of them back with us, and I want the person who took Leader's eyes."

Desmond nodded, "An eye for an eye, expect we always pay our favors back double. So we rip this guy's eyes out?"

Cobra grabbed the next weapon making sure they had enough ammo for it, "No, leave them in. Do you think Dimitri knows how to do an eye transplant?"

Desmond reached for the pile of weapons they had checked yet, pausing, "I'm not sure. I've never seen him do it. But these are Leader's eyes, I don't think he'll risk it if he doesn't. Do you think Leader will even want this guy's eyes?"

Cobra set a gun down. He moved to the next one in a very organized fashion. They were casually counting their supplies, the quality of their supplies, and discussing their rescue plan as if it were an everyday task comparable to what a natural family would consider doing dishes, "Leader's always had a soft heart for the leader of a gang. It's got to be that guy's eyes, no one else will suit him. It'll help in the role of our gang and how other's see it too."

They just had to take some guy's eyes, rescue Dimitri, and destroy a whole gang overnight.

Easy right?


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The world was made of compromises. That's how he had learned to live. He was capable of living without everything he wanted, but tonight he was going to be greedy. He was capable of living without everything he needed or wanted, but tonight he was coming home with everything he wanted.

People's lives weren't something to compromise on. Not her's. Not tonight and not ever. Cobra clicked the case open, reloading bullets, and scavenging weaponry. Civility wasn't a presence that was going to visit him anytime soon, likely if it existed in a spirit the way myths said it did, Civility would take one look at him and dart. Tonight there would be no compromise. No mercy.

"Cobra, wait until we regroup." Leader crossed his arms as he leaned on the doorframe, listening to him prepare at fight. Cobra pulled another gun and a map from the chest, "Cobra listen, I'm blind, not stupid, I can hear you russel around. This is a suicide mission."

Cobra took in a breath, clicking the chest shut, "You're right, but anyone else goes in these for him and they are going to get hurt. They can't handle him at his worse."

"And what is his worse?"

"He's violent, extremely violent when imprisoned, I had lost him one time in a situation similar to this. When I found him, let's just say he wasn't the gentleman that anyone would expect." Cobra gave a sarcastic roll of the eyes, Leader was intuitive enough to handle to social dexterities of this conversation. "I had to fight him until I was bloodied and on the floor, I asked him if he wanted to get out of that dump and go home. Well, he doesn't handle the word home well, it was followed by a fight-or-flight halogenic rage."

"And you don't think you should tell the leader of your gang something like this?"

"Hey, we all have our own forms of dealing with stress and if he wanted to divulge he would. The only reason I'm telling you is because it's necessary." Cobra knew if he had any other kind of object in his hand he would be waving it at Leader to emphasize his point.

"You think maybe we should ask her at least what the drug does?"

"No. It's better we don't know."

"And if everything doesn't work out and one of you gets ahold of it? Attacked by it? How am I supposed to fix you guys? How are we supposed to develop a cure?"

Cobra let his thumb flip the lock on the case where he kept his weaponry open and closed. "I-" He paused, he knew what he wanted to say. That he wouldn't let them get to her. That he would make sure that she was safe no matter what. He knew how many things he wanted to pour out of his brain into the atmosphere at the very moment in time with so much force and effort that he himself believed them. "She's going to be fine. Don't worry about it." Cobra flipped the lock again. He knew he wasn't being logical, there had to be something else. There was no way that he was going to let anything happen. But the possibility that something was going to happen was extremely high. He flipped the lock, "Leader, I don't-how do you do this?"

He could hear Leader take a breath, leaning on the doorframe, "Did you know for the longest time I've been considering naming you as the successor of this gang? I had been hoping that you would make this gang the kind of people that can live in this society, but before long you had become one of us. We don't live up to the average social standards, but you had made this place a family. I was still considering it, then she came along. And I saw something it spiralled through your eyes, the piece of maniac that we all carry within us." Leader paused, "Then she appeared and I saw it, the insanity bloom in your eyes, as a disease we seem to have given to you."

Cobra moved the equipment drawing another box closer, "I've always been this way."

"It was, well, it is a different kind of insanity. Heck, right now I would be my last case of beer that your eyes still glow with it."

"I-"

"Please. That insanity rolls through your eyes, it's part of your veins, exploding in your eyes similar to a firework." Leader scoffed, likely rolling his eyes behind him, the sound of laughter edged on his voice.

Cobra flipped the lock again, "I need to talk to her."

"You don't have to do this. We can send Desmond disguised as her and then when we are close enough to snatch Dimitri, he can grab him and run."

"They'll check." Cobra muttered snatching a cloak off of the wall, struggling to make sure he wasn't holding it with such a grip he would tear holes in it. He didn't want to be in this situation, Leader was right, there was a type of insanity that was becoming a hurricane inside of him. But it wasn't what Leader was insinuating. The type of insanity he was feeling whenever he looked out that window wasn't as soft. It moved with the prowl of a hungry lion and the rage of a wildfire that refused to be quelled.

His feet tapped up the stairs by the time he reached her room the door was already open where he could see her packing her things. "You know..." She paused, leaving the pressure on the clothes, "I've thought about it a million times. Burning this off of my back. I told myself it was sentimental, the last thing my parents have left me" She paused again, glancing towards him, "I'm not as good as a person you think I am. I wanted to figure out what the words meant, watch these worlds burn, then leave." Kinana glanced towards the wall as though there had been a picture that decorated it, "I told myself it was sentimental, or it was in hopes of revenge one day, but the truth is...I was scared. I didn't want to feel the pain. Or maybe it was both."

Cobra wandered over towards her, lowering himself to the floor, letting a hand run over his neck. He had forgotten about it. He felt his heart pulse as he felt the chain move underneath his hand. "Neither am I." He paused letting out a dark laugh, he was part of a gang and hadn't been the best student when she had known him, she knew that already. He unclipped the chain removing it from underneath his shirt, warmth leaving his skin, it felt as though he was missing something that had been there his whole life. He wasn't ready to let it go. "Leader had said you might of wanted something from your home-" He took a breath, he had been entirely focused on the chain's descent into her shaking hand. He was waiting for her accusatory tone, her eyes to beam in anger at him. _How long have you had this?_ She would hiss at him.

"When?"

"I-, shortly after you arrived. I went to your home. But I wasn't ready to see you cry." He muttered attempting not to look her in the eye. He couldn't let her know how he was feeling, not when they were about to go through a dangerous situation.

Cobra felt his head slam back, a stinging sensation buzzing along his cheek, as he glanced towards Kinana. A shaking hand tightened around the necklace, angry tears buzzing in her eyes, he had known she would've been angry. He braced himself as she moved forwards towards him again, suddenly wrapping her arms around his neck, "Stupid! It's dangerous there! Why did you go! Stupid! You're the last important thing I have left in my life! What would've I done if they killed you!"

Her warmth wrapped around him, his body leaned back unprepared to take on the weight that had just been thrown full-force at him. He wrapped his arms around her, tightening to the point he was sure it would be hard to breathe. She could feel his heart strum inside of his chest. "Hey." She whispered, drawing back and running a hand down his face, "We're going to be okay."

Cobra felt himself glance over her shoulder, towards wall. Right now he was Erik; young, unprepared, and not ready to give the world anything else they were asking for. Erik who wasn't ready to let anyone have their way. He was Erik, young, afraid, and unprepared for what the world was demanding of him.

"I want to be more than just okay. I don't want luxury, I want these people to be safe and happy. I want the people I care for to not have to hold a gun in their hands every time they run to the garbage can. I want these people to be safe. I want you." He felt heat run up his neck, letting his eyes take over as they trailed over to her widening ones as she computed what he had slipped. He felt his heart pound, she wasn't responding. He wasn't ready to lie to her there was no way he could take that back.

Her hold on his neck tightened, "I know, but right now, what these people need is your venom to keep them alive, not what we want."

He watched as she started getting up, going back to returning to planning to leave, a hand snapped to her sleeve. Holding onto it like a child. He felt his heart pound, he wasn't ready to watch her leave. He wasn't ready to bring her out to the battlefield where he held a comrade as they died, where his friends perished, where guns fired at each other. He wasn't ready to reintroduce her to that graveyard where the bodies permeated not yet buried. And likely never would be. He felt its mouth open of its own accord, his own body parts moving on their own tonight, "I-"

Her door slammed open, "Kinana, I need a wig!" Desmond shouted the sound of clopping heels into her room.

Cobra glared back towards Desmond, standing in high heels and a short dress that showed off his manly leg hair. Kinana lifted a hand to hide her laughter. "If you're going to go out in that I would shave your legs first." Cobra growled, attempting to make sure the heat didn't hit his face. Desmond glanced between the two of them still on the floor, and O-shape coming to his mouth before darting out of the room.

"I guess we needed that." Kinana laughed, "But who's going to explain to him that I am going?"

"I really want it to be him. I...I don't want them to ever see your face again."

"And Desmond's is okay?"

Cobra glanced at the door, "Not his face, maybe those legs would give them nightmares."

She let a laugh escape as she shook her head, closing the suitcase with a heavy click. Her smile fell as she traced over the packaging, "It'd be weird if I didn't bring anything, they'll know we're going to try to dart the minute we get him back."

"Logically yes. But we're going to wait until they don't think we're following them anymore."

"How are we going to do that?"

Leader leaned on the door, "The blind guy is going to do the following."

Kinana blinked at him, "Are you sure?" She whispered.

"Of course. I've done my fair-share of not being able to see and fight before this, and although it's different, I'm sure I can handle it. Besides, who finds a blind guy and thinks, _'hey he's following me'._ Dear me, dear me, you aren't my wife?" He laughed phantoming holding the imaginary person's hand, "can you point me in the right direction? Oh which one is that?"

Desmond clopped back, returning in normal pants, "There. Now Dimitri won't laugh at me."

"What are you wearing?" Leader scoffed, glancing down to Desmond's feet as though he was looking right at them.

"Well, have you ever seen a man in high heels on the battlefield? No. They'll look at these bright pink killers and think _'that's a dangerous man right there.'_ for he can run and be fashionable." Desmond nodded proudly, turning to Leader, before whispered, "you shouldn't be in here, these two are being intamine."

"We are not!" The heat he had been holding back hit his face as the two of them untangled with the background track of Leader's laughter.

"You two were so quiet I should've expected so, you could've just told me."

Kinana glanced at the clock, "Time to go."

Cobra nodded shuffling out the cloak, "put the hood up, it'll be harder if we run into another gang that knows the information before we get there." she nodded wrapping it around her.

The trail towards the meeting point was quiet as they led a small pack of people, Leader walking slightly behind them with a new walking stick. It was something he had been trying to go without, prove his point that he didn't need any assitance and was still capable of taking care of them. Leader fought with the idea until Desmond had insisted that it was part of the show when anyone found him and that it could be used as a weapon.

A hand wrapped around his, "hey. We're going to be alright." She whispered, glancing towards the horizon where silhouettes wandered the horizon, her warmth leaving his hand searching for more.

Cobra scrutinized the group relieved to have Desmond at his back preparing for a fight, he could just barely see Desmond clipping-and-unclipping the gloves that wrapped around his hands.

Kinana stiffened next to him, "No." The words ripped from her mouth barely audible enough for him to hear as one of heels began to draw back, Cobra watched as her shoulders squared, her face tensed, and eyes trailed from one person then towards Dimitri, could almost feel the shaking of her skin on the vibrations in the air.

"What?" He asked scrutinizing the area.

"My parents' killer. He should be dead. I made sure to shoot him in vital spots."

"Did you stay long enough to make sure he was dead?"

Kinana shook her head, "I aim, shot, and ran. I know I hit him in vital spots, but-" her voice was in a hushed whisper as he nodded. He would have to take extra precautions with the brute that stood near the front of the small pack. The pack that traveled out to return Dimitri to them and snatch Kinana away.

"An eye-for-an-eye!" The brute shouted laughing as he pointed a gun near Dimitri's head.

Cobra swallowed, he needed to disconnect from his emotions, he was going to keep them both safe he would have to play the charade of not caring. "We brought the girl, give the teen back to us."

"I wasn't talking about what you're gangs done, I was talking about what she's done." The brute laughed, seconds passed as the brute spun the gun in their direction the brute's words dancing into Cobra's head: _An Eye for an Eye._ Cobra felt his feet move instinctively attempting to drag Kinana out of the line of fire.

Dimitri and Kinana were screaming. He glanced towards his hand covered in the darkening liquid, panicking overcoming him as he rapidly searched Kinana for where the bullet would've gone through. She was staring at him wide-eyed ripping at her outfit as she was reaching for him, Dimitri raging in the background as Kinana was pressing whatever pieces of cloth she could to his skin. Cobra glanced towards the red water fountain running down his hand. The recollection clicking, the red substance that dirtied his hands was his own. " _Ah, that's mine."_ Relief mixed with panic. He had been shot.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The world seemed so different, not that he hadn't been pierced by a bullet before, but this time he had something to lose. He felt Kinana's shaking stop, her terrified movements suddenly becoming concrete-solid movements brimmed with confidence. He could feel Kinana's hands covered in cloth pressing into his wounds in an attempting to stop the bleeding. Her eyes were determined and fierce, forwards with their anger that radiated in her beauty.

"Where's Dimitri?" He tasted blood on every vowel he spoke, and with that sentence that couldn't be good. Kinana looked a crossed the field examining the people who had arrived to make the deal, "is he there?" Cobra choked out.

Before Kinana could open her mouth, her fingers tightened around the cloth, irate screaming raged from the other side of the deal, people hustled to quiet the person that was losing their mind. Cobra let his head lean onto the sidewalk, yup he was there. "Hey, if we-"

He glanced at her knowing that she wasn't going to finish that sentence and blow the whole operation. "Yeah, I'll be fine." He smiled, doing his best not to lunge for the person who roughly dragged her away, doing his best to pretend that he was down-and-out due to the gunshot.

"If I don't treat that he'll die!" Kinana snapped, her voice sounding angrier than it needed to be.

The group laughed, "You heard the girl, let the man suffer." a force was thrown onto his side as Cobra attempted not to let out a groan, hands shuffling a crossed his form, as he unhooked his gun.

Cobra opened his eyes to see Dimitri bloodied hands unclipping the gun, "Don't you touch her." He fired a warning shot, Cobra glanced towards the flare in the boy's eyes glowing with the rage of a wildfire.

"I told you to break his hands! Who didn't break his hands before sending him back?"

Cobra glanced towards Dimitri's hands, slight traces of purple running up them, he had at least one or two broken fingers alright. They weren't moving, but Dimitri must've swelling from the adrenaline with the ability to move the fingers that weren't broken. He had placed the one's he could move in such a pattern so that the other half of the field couldn't see his inability to move those fingers.

Cobra felt a smile creep up his face, the things they never thought they'd be capable of to survive. Besides, it likely wasn't the first time that Dimitri had to fight for his life with a couple broken bones. He surrounded Dimitri's wrist, "Run kid."

"Be quiet, and keep that cloth on your wound."

Cobra let his head rest against the pavement, listening to the steady gunfire as the chaos ensued around them, he hoped that Leader would be able to keep up with this nonsense. On the other hand, he hadn't remembered Kinana bringing this cloth with her, he really couldn't tell what kind of fabric this was. Surely, she hadn't. He removed the cloth staring at the colors, she had tore some of her clothing to stop the bleeding. He hadn't even heard or seen her movements. "Put that back and start pressuring it." Dimitri scolded him, grabbing him by the shoulders as he dragged the both of them out of the cross fire that had started amongst the gang.

"What's happening?"

"I can't tell too well, there seems to be a rebellion? Or a confusion? They think some from our gang managed to somehow get into their gang."

"I hope so." Cobra leaned his head against the wall near the window, he could hear the firing at the racket that echoed into the abandoned house that Dimitri had barged into.

"Stop that and put pressure on it."

"It's not as bad as it looks."

"Until we can get the bullet out it is. Besides, I need time to do patch work. Take off your shirt." Dimitri pulled a needle and some thread from his pants pocket, beginning to measure the amount of thread he would need with his teeth.

"I am not letting you touch me with that dirty needle."

"It's fresh I haven't even used it once, put that cloth back on your wound. Dang it Cobra listen." Dimitri muttered.

"If you don't clean that needle we're going to have more problems than me not listening to you, some baby-stitches, and a few broken fingers."

A darkened look crossed Dimitri's face, "I have these broken fingers because I tried to escape on my own and gave several of their wounded infections on purpose."

Cobra let his head hit the wall behind him, if it hadn't been for the fact that Kinana was out in the chaos he could hear ensure behind him surely pleased laughter would've escaped his lips. Dumb Asses. If they knew anything about Dimitri, much more the desperate, they would've never demanded the man to help with their wounded and sickly. "Anyone in there that might be able to decipher what's on Kinana's back?"

"Likely, yes, but the lot seemed to be filled with incompetent fools. That's the only way I got several infections a crossed, managed to confuse the heck out of everyone. Likely, they were hiding someone in the back who already knew better and I can't count for people that weren't already at the home base." Cobra nodded watching as Dimitri searched the house for any form of running water so that he could begin making the stitches. The pocket-watch making steady beats against Dimitri's leg.

"Get rid of that thing already." Cobra coughed, hoping that it was only spit that he had just flung to the floor.

"I'm attached to it." Dimitri muttered coming back with the needle and beginning to get to work, "You just keep getting lucky man, we can probably call this a graze and go rescue Kinana." Cobra did his best to ignore the sensation of Dimitri working on the stitches. "You better have a plan or I'm going to get a fist full of these stitches and yank."

Cobra felt the cool-air radiate off of the concrete he rested his head against as he watched the group gather around Kinana before drawing back away from the cross fire. Oh, they had a plan, but it was taking every last bit of composure and self-control that he had built up not to jump through the broken window and destroy their plan. "If it weren't for those stitches the plan would be in shatters right now." Cobra attempted to hold back a groan of discontent, a mixture of wanting to jump onto the battlefield and holding himself back from letting Dimitri know how much the stitches plus the bullet wound hurt. He was this gang's rock, the venom that kept them alive, he had to keep pushing forwards. There was no way he could let someone see him break over something so little, especially since it the man they had just rescued from another gang who was doing his stitches with one broken hand.

"Hey, are you doing alright?" Cobra glanced towards Dimitri, the kid nodded, his hand shaking and sweat running down his forehead likely running a fever. Great, just another thing he needed to be added to his plate to worry about right now.

Dimitri paused searching his pockets for more of the string he used to stitches, "What is..." He paused struggling to a breath confirming Cobra's suspicions, "the plan."

"Leader's going to take care of the hard part and once they're distracted I'm going to swoop in snatch Kinana and run."

"Great, how can I help?"

"You're retreating, when Desmond gets here you're going back to the house with him."

"You do understand that Leader is blind now correct? Why can't I-?"

"Leader has always been capable no matter what the situation and your hand is broken, you're going back, begin packing everyone's things and planning an escape. This is important to and I need you to do this."

Dimitri paused taking a breath as he glanced down towards his broken hand, "They missed, they were aiming for the whole hand. You know halfway through I remembered begging whatever forces are out there knowing that they wouldn't stop them don't let it be a gun and then bam they pull out a hammer, and I just sat there wondering if it'd quicker if it was a gun." Dimitri pulled bandages from his pocket beginning to wrap, "And now, I hope you don't hold me in a high standard as I like to think you do because I am not above revenge." He paused glancing towards Cobra meeting his gaze, "And your woman out there, you should see that flare in her eyes, neither is she. That wasn't the face of a woman who just crossed into enemy territory to be rescued, it was one that is going to reek havoc."

Cobra felt a smile push its way onto his face, that was the way it ought to be. Havoc was in his nature, it was what he was drawn to, it ran through the essence of his being, was sewn into his very soul. But the image that greeted him when he returned his gaze to outside coursed shock and adrenaline through each of those things. Kinana had gotten her hands on a grenade and rolled it part of the gang. She threw her hands over her ears as Cobra attempted to reach for Dimitri pushing him below the window. Within seconds fire blazed through the window, explosions, and panic coursed through the voices outside. Kinana was the last person anyone expected to be holding an explosive device.

"Cobra! Cobra! Hold still! Cobra, I'm losing the stitches! Cobra! Cobra! Dang it! Eric!"

It was as though a roller-coasted slammed him back into his senses, "Did you just?"

"I did, now sit still. I'm just doing a patch job, if you get into heavy-hand-to-hand combat then they're definitely going to come out and you're going to need me."

"I don't plan to get that close to any of them."

"You never plan anything you do, but remember that explosion last week? You didn't plan to do it, but you went and did it." Dimitri muttered measuring out more string.

"You need to wrap those fingers."

"A few hours with them being out of place isn't going to hurt, resetting them properly is what's going to hurt. And I'd rather be in a safe location to do that." Dimitri muttered as he tied the stitches into a knot, "If I were a competent doctor I would tell you what you're about to do is stupid and refuse to treat your reopened stitches when you get back."

Cobra shot him a smile, "Good luck with that degree, Doctor Dimitri the Incompetent."

Dimitri glanced through what he had left over in his arsenal, "Look, I prepared for you to be slightly-less-insane than usual, but at least try not to rip the stitches out."

"Got it." Cobra smiled snatching the gun off the floor flying out the door towards Kinana's location as she wrestled weaponry out of another's hands. He found himself compelled towards the woman at a faster rate, the chaos in the area enhancing. Cobra found himself instinctively ducking as gun the gun Kinana was wrestling out of the enemy gang member's hands fired. She removed it from his hands slamming it against their head.

A person slammed him a side out of the straight path towards Kinana, they weren't going to be conscious long enough to regret that decision. Cobra felt his head tilt displaying his teeth as he looked towards the perpetrator that had pushed him aside scrambling for their gun. Unconscious on the battlefield was not a fun situation to be in.

Kinana's voice boomed into his ears as Cobra glanced towards her, his hands slipping on the victim underneath his feet. Raised high in the air above her head was a tiny circle which could've been mistaken for a bouncy ball, "so unless you want radiation poison with the equivalent of two nuclear bombs, everyone stay where you are."

Cobra felt the chaos that ran through his veins substituted with panic, that _thing_ in her hands wasn't an ordinary bomb that she had found on a body lying on the battlefield. That thing was a slightly larger version of what he had been holding earlier in the week. He had whistled while he watched the damage. He had shot a prototype of what was in her hand. He knew the damage that it would do first-hand. His brain struggled to comprehend what he was processing, there was no way she just picked it up off of the ground. There was no way that this gang had spares of that was no way that she knew exactly what a random explosive on the battlefields extra side effects were. That _thing's_ ingredients were engraved into her back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It was supposed to be a drug. Something they could fight, find a cure for. Not a miniature atomic bomb. His eyes scanned her face for the bluff, the proof she was lying. It was the truth.

His brain racked itself for the rest of the answers begging for that conclusion to be wrong. He couldn't fight that. How was he supposed to fight a miniature atomic bomb equipped with radiation poisoning? How was he supposed to protect her from that?

How long had she been carrying these weapons on her? Had she known? Cobra tightened his hands on the cloth to the point he was sure he was ripping it. She hadn't trusted him with the truth. If he had gotten them out of there sooner, hid her away in a place the world would never find her and covered that tattoo. There would be a way. There had to be.

She hadn't known the details when he asked, how? No-she was bluffing. That determination in her eyes wasn't the fact that she was telling the truth, it was her buying time, desperate.

Desperate to get to him, she thought he was still bleeding. She scanned the crowd searching for him, likely not seeing Dimitri grab him and dart from the center of the battlefield.

She wasn't timid, she had grown into a brave woman. Gambling their lives on the tiny spheres she now held within her hands.

The surrounding members of the fight turned their guns towards each other daring the others to be the first to tempt the woman. Cobra pushed a foot forwards attempting to move into her line of vision, the plan was smart. She had gotten everyone's attention while having them point their guns at each other, but she was the one holding that thing. It put a dreadful taste in his mouth thinking of the possibility she may go through with releasing the bomb.

"You don't want to do that."

"You're right, but I'll do what I have to." Kinana's hands quivered as she lowered the sphere, only taking a quick glance at it. "I have some demands to make."

The audience let out a faint laughter their reply was Kinana beginning to turn part of the sphere, "This was one of the very few things my parents left behind, I'd rather it be a dust collection memento then a death-bringer," She paused her cold eyes scanning the crowd, "That's not the case anymore." She turned another dial.

Cobra found his lips dry and throat feeling as if a crocodile was currently ripping it apart, his voice repeatedly cutting itself off, and eyes refusing to leave the blue object held within her hands. A tiny blue sphere visually similar to his grandmother's kitchen timer, her hands moving setting it to cook.

"I am going to walk out of here, if I even hear the slightest whisper with the intention of following me I will set this off. Also, I want him and him with me." CObra glanced among the people she selected. She had made what would be considered logical demands at this point, except-

Laughter bellowed from her second choice, "You're far from trusting me and already know him by hypothesis. So, that makes me what? A hostage?"

"You're going to wish you held at least that much value." Her voice slithered to his ears if she had been anybody else threatening anyone else he would've taken them out. Tonight, she held tight to that venom glistening in her eyes.

Dimitri darted towards them, zip-ties being removed from his pocket while disarming him. "Are you sure?" He whispered a quick glance towards Kinana.

"They've got to come from somewhere." She whispered as they hurried along making sure they weren't followed.

Desmond answered the door, creaking it open slightly before ushering them inside, Dimitri and the hostage towards the basement, "And Leader?" Desmond inquired.

"He'll catch up soon, a lot happened."

"Find somewhere in the basement with some light. A place it looks like I might've worked previously." Dimitri instructed grabbing half of the suitcases.

The hostage laughed glancing around the house, "Looks less crispy than the last one."

Desmond spun flying up the basement stairs two at a time.

"Not the face, remember I need room to work." Dimitri snapped, snatching gloves off of the wall and shutting the door with a foot behind him.

Kinana took a step towards the door knowing they had to leave that way as soon as Leader returned.

Cobra found his arms wrapped around her, he engulfed her as she made no effort to escape his impulse. What she must've felt when she discovered he had gone to her house, now a considerable danger zone, was now coursing through his bones. That feeling vibrating like a car with the music too loud. "I don't think I've ever processed what fear was until I saw you holding that."

Her fingers tightened around his grip, tears streaming down her face, "I don't want to lose you, but I know I will."

He spun her around struggling for at least a small grimace, "I'm not going anywhere."

She ran a hand over his fresh stitches, he could see it in her eyes the anger and hurt residue a wet-luster glistening in her eyes, "Hey, if it take you away from me, I'm not going."

"Erik, I want you in my life."

"And I will be-"

"I'm saying you'll be dead from the gang violence, I can't leave, but that doesn't meant I want to watch you die!"

"I'm not-"

He felt his hands receding, he was running out of things he wanted to promise her. The things he wanted so desperately to be true. "I want, I'll find a way. Where we don't have to worry about things like this." He pulled her back in until he could feel her heart strum against his chest. He felt protective tonight, these moments were hard as broth to hold onto. "We're going to figure something out."

Kinana nodded, shuffling as she removed the spheres. "I was hoping that was a bluff."

Kinana shook her head, "I wish. The bluff was I knew what they do, the truth is all I know is that these were the prototypes." Her hands shook as she set them on the table. Cobra gathered his self-control, making sure not to chuck the spheres out the window with enough force to equivalent all it meant.

He moved to the kitchen chair glancing at several textbooks Leader had laid out along the counters. It must've been years since he joined a gang, frankly, he wasn't sure how to live outside of it anymore. But for the people he would protect he would do anything. He glanced towards the spheres lying on the table under Kinana's watchful eyes.

"Do you think there's a place in the world for us?"

"If there isn't we'll just make one."

Cobra picked up the spheres, tempted to put it back as he could see Kinana shuffle, but proceeded after receiving no protest.

He scrutinized the object daring to put pressure on it, surprised when it came apart like an Easter Egg. The components seemed relatively simple as though her parents though they were dealing with idiots even an easy way to make the explosive backfire.

"Eric?"

He glanced towards her; he should've been discussing escape plans and reassuring her, instead here he was picking apart her parents' last creation. He felt stupid.

Her voice was soft, barely audible, "Cobra?" His heart pulsed. He didn't want her calling him that. He wanted her too. Mixture and adrenaline rushed him. It was the name he had adopted when the gang rescued him and the allies he had found called him. It was the name that his enemies screamed when they knew they were screwed or begged for mercy. "That's what they call you now right?"

"You can call me Eric."

"Why do they call you that?"

Cobra felt tempted to let a smirk blossom on his lips, "A year or so back I got cornered in a fight against Leader and to get out of the tangle I went and bit him. For a while on top of that I wore a mouthguard covered in a self-made poison and as I was taking care of him he decided to give me this name. Well, really I had earned it."

"Do you still have them?"

Cobra felt a smile finally work its way onto the surface, exposing his front canines, "Care to find out?"

A sprinkle of blush covered her face as she considered the temptation, her hand trapped around his wrist dragging them to the nearest room.

"Kinana, I-"

Her fingers shook struggling to unbutton a shirt he had leant her, "If you knew about poisons then I need to know about this." She spun, the rest of the shirt around where it wouldn't cover the tattoo.

He found his fingers tracing down her back wondering if he could find someone capable enough to cover up this abomination seared into her skin. If it wasn't for this discretion in her skin, he knew he would've spun her around and threw his shirt back around her. He prayed that he had that much self-control, at least. He grabbed the nearest pen and paper in the room jotting the formula down, double-checked it, and did just that. He pulled his shirt around her, he let his forehead touch hers, "You overestimate how good of a person I am."

"I'm sure I know you, I trust you."

"You underestimate how much I want you."

"Guess I'll find out after all." Pressure hit his lips.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Cobra felt a smile play onto his lips, the feeling of the couch at the new place behind him and Kinana in his arms. This is what he wanted, it wasn't the extraordinary things he had imagined back in high school playing with the idea of becoming the president or running a multi-million dollar company, no, but it was simple and contradictory. The quiet strumming of the clock and her warm presence with soft snores as she leaned against him brought a sense of tranquility to him. But something felt wrong, his mind was playing with too many thoughts and ideas, she was rushing. Only nights before she had been afraid of him. He hadn't given her any reason to make advances now.

Leader knocked pushing their door open, his hushed-voice tiptoeing into the room, "Hey, you should probably get started on that information."

Cobra felt his head lean against the couch, just another minute, but if given another minute he was sure he would beg for another. "I'll get there."

Dimitri darted into the room, "Gather your things, we're leaving."

They were relocating already, finished with Leader's operation, they gave him a night to rest, but with the gang in shambles staying in one place was like begging for someone to attack them.

Cobra picked up the case of defensive weapons, waking Kinana up, "Come on it's time to move." He whispered, watching her gather her things, only a brief moment of natural haze in her eyes before she was in flight mode, ready to survive.

Cobra dragged the case through the underground tunnel, watching the torch Dimitri held leading the pack ahead of a contrary position, his mind buzzing. There was enough noise in his head to provide for the entire tunnel. Frankly, in layman's terms, he was frustrated.

Cobra let his eyes linger towards Kinana before returning his gaze to behind them to watch the trail they had come from. It hadn't taken him long to come down from the euphoria. Several nights before she was shaking, scared to approach him. Cobra kicked a rock against the pavement wall, the group bristled like cats waiting for him to declare they were under attack before moving again. Relationships were built on trust, but he knew they hadn't reached that point yet.

He let his mind wander back to the situation, he had prompted it. He was only teasing her. It was his fault too. He had to give her credit for taking the first move. Maybe she wasn't underestimating him after all. She knew all along. He let his eyes linger towards her again. She was a woman that had been living for at least three years not knowing when another human being was going to kill her: deciding she wasn't useful enough anymore. She was a woman who was busy surviving. Relationships weren't the first things on her mind right now.

Cobra let his gaze return to the hallway behind them, the trail's shadows morphing into images and monsters behind him. He took a breath. There was no time for imaginary monsters when they were being chased by real ones.

His eyes traced towards the dark purple hair on her head bouncing through the darkened tunnels. He was tempted to let her manipulate him, his mind fighting him. If she talked to him he was sure that they could sort something out. "We should get out of the tunnel soon, it's like we're begging to be attacked." Leader whispered being pulled along by Desmond.

"Soon, we're safe down here. Only people from our gang know this tunnel." Dimitri stated.

Cobra glanced behind them, with that information then they wouldn't have needed him to watch their backs as they walked.

Kinana fell in line next to him, "Is something wrong?" Yes. No. Maybe. He only knew he wanted to talk to her about it. Alone. Not with three other men in the room.

"No." He sighed tightening his grip on the case as they dragged it further, "Where are we going?" Cobra shouted ahead.

Dimitri glanced back at them, then towards Leader, "The next safe house, we might find other members who made it out unscathed."

"Sure Leader, and who else had a bomb to mess with everyone?"

"She never said anything about backing away, only about approaching her." Leader laughed, "I have faith in my people, they'll be around somewhere. Surely, taking their revenge for people they falsely think are dead."

"You mean us."

"Likely, but who knows. Maybe I think too highly of everyone and they're sitting around having a party now that there's no one to tell them what to do." Leader laughed the bandages around his head swishing with each movement of the head, a light grumble of desire to take the bandages off.

"Cobra, have you considered taking her out of the state?"

Cobra stiffened, his mouth becoming dry. He had, but he never thought that Leader would approve. It's hard to lose one of your best fighters. "I did. I didn't think you would approve, between having a new weapon and losing one of your best fighters."

"I don't, but if she stays we'll all die." Leader sighed, stumbling over some rubble, Dimitri steadied him, sending a light knock on the roof, the door opened.

"Leader is that you-what did they do to you?" A voice whispered, the person coming down into the darkened tunnel shutting the door behind them.

"Relax, it's only temporary. Can you send someone for clean up in the last safe house?"

"...Sure..." The person glanced around, "but you're going to have to keep walking. This safe house has been overrun, they're looking for that girl left and right."

"Have they found anything?"

"A fight with Angel, they've gotten confused and it's the funniest thing. Half of them are unconscious in the living room right now."

"It's our safe house we will get it back. Cobra, leave Kinana here and go up with everyone who is able to fight and clear our safe house."

"Are you sure? We're trying to hide."

"It's a place that's supposed to be safe. If more people come they won't have anywhere safe. I'll have my eyesight back by tomorrow and we'll move forward with however we can, but first this safe house."

Cobra glanced between Kinana and Leader, "I'll be back soon."


End file.
